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,

"Dickory, dickory, dock; the mouse ran up the clock," etc.

My father wished her to come and live with him on board the frigate; but
to that my mother would not consent, saying that she had, it was true,
degraded herself and her family by marrying a coxswain, but she was not
going to further contaminate herself by mixing with the vulgar creatures
on board. In this resolve I think my mother was right; but her dismissal
and disgrace was followed up by my father being disrated and turned into
the maintop, for no other reason in the world than such being the will
and pleasure of Lady Hercules.

Her ladyship considered that she had lost a good servant through my
father's intervention; and having therefore taken a dislike to him, did
not choose that he should, as coxswain, come up to the house as usual;
and, as he no longer did the duty of coxswain, she asserted that he was
not entitled to the rating. Thus, seven months had hardly passed away
before my father's marriage became a source of vexation and annoyance;
his pay was decreased, and he was no longer a petty officer. My mother's
pride was hurt; and if she was resolute in not going on board to remain
with him when he was captain's coxswain, she was still more so now that
he was reduced to a common seaman. As for my father, he was the picture