LOVE IX A "STEAMEPw." 101 



and I remember seeing a good proof of the strength of it. 

 In crosshig the Irish Channel I had remarked a married 

 coupls come on board ; the husband a mild good-tempered 

 looking man, the wife a little pug-nosed gimlet-eyed shrew 

 — a very walking vinegar cruet, with whom everything 

 went sour. First the trunks were in the wrong place; 

 next she was on the wrong side of the vessel, and with all 

 her voluminous traps must be transplanted ; then she 

 wanted this, and next must have that, laying the blame 

 of all upon her helper, who bore it better tlian Job, 

 although, poor man ! he had nought to do with the matter. 

 I had been watching the scene with the tail of my eye, 

 hugging myself in my snug celibacy, and devoutly wishing 

 that something would arrive to stop madam's tongue, when 

 by degrees she grew quieter, and I repented; "Not so bad 

 as I thought," said I to myself; "put out perhaps for the 

 moment ; I beg her pardon." All of a sudden, " Oh ! my 

 dear ! you brute ! why don't you move directly ? " escaped 

 like a jet d^eau from her lips; and ere the good man 

 could help her to the side, a jet of something else followed 

 like a discharge from a fire-engine. Nothing but sea- 

 sickness could have tamed the shrew, and I really enjoyed 

 this unv/illing tribute to its power, and again blessed my 

 bachelorship. But to return, my silent friend turned out 

 a real trump card. I handled the rudder and he the jib, and 

 we rode the waves gallantly until we got under the lee of 

 the little islet, where we debarked our invalids and began 

 to look about us. But all sport was over. The wild fowl 

 were driven inland by the wind ; our fellow sportsmen were 

 all hors de combat ; and there was nothing for it but to get 



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