Sabine Baring-Gould

“ It isn’t womanly, it isn’t respectful.’
‘I want to know if you did not enlist, Jerry.’
‘No, I did not.’
‘Then why did you say you had?’
‘Because—I didn’t think I’d persuade you otherwise to come away with me.’
‘It was a lie,’ she said, and worked her elbows impatiently, angrily, on the table.
‘Now, don’t put yourself out,’ said Mustard, ‘you’re irritable for want of victuals. It is always so when the meals aren’t regular. Have some bitter, it is cool, and rare stuff.’ He thrust the tankard towards her again. Again she shook her head, this time angrily. And now her eyes began to flash. ”

“ We must get to Liverpool and on to the sea before that. We can be married in America, or, if there’s a parson on the ship that takes us over, we will get spliced then. Don’t bother yourself about that.’
‘But I do, Jerry. We must be married at once if it does cost a guinea.’
‘Here!’ called Jerry to the shabby woman who attended on the tables as waitress, ‘you bring a pint of bitter, and be sharp.’
This was produced more quickly than the required meat and vegetables. Jeremiah took a long draught, and then passed the pewter across to Jael, who shook her head. ”

“ Come along ashore with me, you have no baggage, and we’ll go to an eating-shop and have something good to dine on.’
She followed him with some reluctance, and yet with the consciouness that she had committed herself to his charge, and that she had gone too far to draw back. But she could not shake off her uneasiness and growing regret at having acted with such lack of consideration. She argued with herself that no other course was open to her, that she had no other friend, and yet was unable to convince herself that she had done right. ”