"He's no further off," resumed the captain, "than my country. Indeed,
he's no further off than his own native country. To tell you the truth,
he's no further off than Falmouth. Indeed, I doubt if he's quite so fur.
Indeed, if you was sure you could bear it nicely, and I was to do no more
than whistle for him--"
The captain's trust was discharged. A rush came, and they were all
together again.
This was a fine opportunity for Tom Pettifer to appear with a tumbler of
cold water, and he presently appeared with it, and administered it to the
ladies; at the same time soothing them, and composing their dresses,
exactly as if they had been passengers crossing the Channel. The extent
to which the captain slapped his legs, when Mr. Pettifer acquitted
himself of this act of stewardship, could have been thoroughly
appreciated by no one but himself; inasmuch as he must have slapped them
black and blue, and they must have smarted tremendously.
He couldn't stay for the wedding, having a few appointments to keep at
the irreconcilable distance of about four thousand miles. So next
morning all the village cheered him up to the level ground above, and
there he shook hands with a complete Census of its population, and
invited the whole, without exception, to come and stay several months
with him at Salem, Mass.
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