but the boat did not return again till about sundown.

For the sun was just dropping below the water when the captain came
aboard once more and, finding Barnaby on deck, bade him come down into
the saloon, where they found the young lady sitting, the broad light of
the evening shining in through the skylight, and making it all pretty
bright within.

The captain commanded Barnaby to be seated, for he had something of
moment to say to him; whereupon, as soon as Barnaby had taken his
place alongside the young lady, he began very seriously, with a preface
somewhat thus: "Though you may think me the captain of this brigantine,
young gentleman, I am not really so, but am under orders, and so have
only carried out those orders of a superior in all these things that I
have done." Having so begun, he went on to say that there was one thing
yet remaining for him to do, and that the greatest thing of all. He said
that Barnaby and the young lady had not been fetched away from the Belle
Helen as they were by any mere chance of accident, but that 'twas all a
plan laid by a head wiser than his, and carried out by one whom he must
obey in all things. He said that he hoped that both Barnaby and the
young lady would perform willingly what they would be now called upon
to do, but that whether they did it willingly or no, they must, for that
those were the orders of one who was not to be disobeyed.

You may guess how our hero held his breath at all this; but whatever
might have been his expectations, the very wildest of them all did not
reach to that which was demanded of him. "My orders are these," said the
other, continuing: "I am to take you and the young lady ashore, and to
see that you are married before I quit you; and to that end a very
good, decent, honest minister who lives ashore yonder in the village was