By this time her ladyship had regained her breath, and she interrupted my mother by pointing out to her, that allowing all she said to be correct, yet still that was no reason why she should allow such indecent liberties; that Sir Hercules had never obtained such favors from her until after the ring had been put on her finger.  Then, indeed, such things might be—­that is, occasionally; but the kitchen of all places!—­And, besides, how did she know how many wives the coxswain had already?  She shouldn’t be surprised, if, with that long pigtail of his, he had five at least—­nay, perhaps, six or seven.  Here my mother replied that “it was out of gratitude to her (sob) for having consented to permit him to (sob) speak to Sir Hercules (sob), who would plead with her ladyship (sob), which had occasioned Mr. Saunders (sob) to take—­such—­a—­liberty (sob—­sob—­sob)—­which he had never—­done before—­(sob)—­No!—­never—­upon her honor—­never!—­” And here my mother’s sobs choked her utterance.

This explanation somewhat pacified, and a little subsequent humility and flattery gained the mistress, who consented to settle the matter with Sir Hercules, alleging, as one principal reason for so doing, that after the familiarity which had taken place between them, the sooner they were married the better.  The wishes of her ladyship were tantamount to commands.  Sir Hercules pronounced my father to be a fool, and they were married.

My mother was a good-looking person, perhaps two or three years older than my father; she was of a very bad temper, very vindictive and revengeful, and in every way she had a pleasure in annoying other people, and when she succeeded she invariably concluded her remarks with, “There—­now you’re vexed!” Whenever out of humor herself from the observations of others, she attempted to conceal her vexation by singing; and having been so many years of her life in the nursery, her songs were usually those little ditties used to pacify or amuse children in arms.  “Saunders,” she would cry out, “if you aren’t the biggest fool that ever walked on two legs—­to look at that long tail of yours you’re so proud of, one would think I’d married a monkey—­a hourang-howtang, instead of a man.  There—­now you’re vexed!  One can’t open one’s mouth.”  My mother knew where to strike; and this attack upon his pigtail was certain to provoke my father, who would retort in no measured language, till she, in her turn, lost her temper, and then out she would sing, in a sort of scream—­

     “Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
      The cow jumped over the moon,” etc.

And thus she continued to sing (or squeal) until her wrath cooled down.

The consequences of forming a matrimonial alliance with a captain’s coxswain soon became visible.  Six months after they had been married, Lady Hercules pronounced my mother’s appearance to be quiet indecent, and declared her no longer fit for the office of lady’s maid to a lady of her exquisite delicacy; and my mother, who became less active every day, received notice to quit, which she did, when her month was up, in great wrath, packing up her boxes, and slamming the door as she left the house, singing at the very highest pitch of her voice,