bride conceivable, serious and still; and I thought shame to stand
up with her in that mean house and before that grinning negro. I
thought shame, I say; for the mountebank was dressed with a big
paper collar, the book he made believe to read from was an odd
volume of a novel, and the words of his service not fit to be set
down. My conscience smote me when we joined hands; and when she
got her certificate I was tempted to throw up the bargain and
confess. Here is the document. It was Case that wrote it,
signatures and all, in a leaf out of the ledger:-


This is to certify that Uma, daughter of Fa'avao of Falesa, Island
of - , is illegally married to Mr. John Wiltshire for one week, and
Mr. John Wiltshire is at liberty to send her to hell when he
pleases.

JOHN BLACKAMOAR.
Chaplain to the hulks.

Extracted from the Register
by William T. Randall,
Master Mariner.


A nice paper to put in a girl's hand and see her hide away like
gold. A man might easily feel cheap for less. But it was the
practice in these parts, and (as I told myself) not the least the
fault of us white men, but of the missionaries. If they had let
the natives be, I had never needed this deception, but taken all
the wives I wished, and left them when I pleased, with a clear