Out went poor Dick, with the tear in his eye at being snubbed so.  While he was putting up the shutters, Phoebe was making love to her pseudo penitent.  “My dear,” said she, “trust yourself to me.  You don’t know all my love yet; for I have never been your wife, and I would not be your jade; that is the only thing I ever refused you.  Trust yourself to me.  Why, you never found happiness with others; try it with me.  It shall be the best day’s work you ever did, going out in the ship with me.  You don’t know how happy a loving wife can make her husband.  I’ll pet you out there as man was never petted.  And besides, it isn’t for life; Dick and me will soon make a fortune out there, and then I’ll bring you home, and see you spend it any way you like but one.  Oh, how I love you! do you love me a little?  I worship the ground you walk on.  I adore every hair of your head!” Her noble arm went round his neck in a moment, and the grandeur of her passion electrified him so far that he kissed her affectionately, if not quite so warmly as she did him:  and so it was all settled.  The maid was discharged that night instead of the morning, and Reginald was to occupy her bed.  Phoebe went up-stairs with her heart literally on fire, to prepare his sleeping-room, and so Dick and Reginald had a word.

“I say, Dick, how long will this voyage be?”

“Two months, sir, I am told.”

“Please to cast your eyes on this suit of mine.  Don’t you think it is rather seedy—­to go to Africa with?  Why, I shall disgrace you on board the ship.  I say, Dick, lend me three sovs., just to buy a new suit at the slop-shop.”

“Well, brother-in-law,” said Dick, “I don’t see any harm in that.  I’ll go and fetch them for you.”

What does this sensible Dick do but go up-stairs to Phoebe, and say, “He wants three pounds to buy a suit; am I to lend it him?”

Phoebe was shaking and patting her penitent’s pillow.  She dropped it on the bed in dismay.  “Oh, Dick, not for all the world!  Why, if he had three sovereigns, he’d desert me at the water’s edge.  Oh, God help me, how I love him!  God forgive me, how I mistrust him!  Good Dick! kind Dick! say we have suits of clothes, and we’ll fit him like a prince, as he ought to be, on board ship; but not a shilling of money:  and, my dear, don’t put the weight on me.  You understand?”

“Ay, mistress, I understand.”

“Good Dick!”

“Oh, all right! and then don’t you snap this here good, kind Dick’s nose off at a word again.”

“Never.  I get wild if anybody threatens him.  Then I’m not myself.  Forgive my hasty tongue.  You know I love you, dear!”

“Oh, ay! you love me well enough.  But seems to me your love is precious like cold veal, and your love for that chap is hot roast beef.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha!”

“Oh, ye can laugh now, can ye?”

“Ha, ha, ha!”

“Well, the more of that music, the better for me.”