Chapter 26 - Page 2

"We shall have as hard a fare of it," said the waterman to his
companion, "as if we were ferrying over an honest bankrupt with all
his secreted goods--Ho, ho! good woman, what, are you stepping in
for?--our gunwale lies deep enough in the water without live lumber to
boot."

"This person comes with me," said Lord Glenvarloch; "she is for the
present under my protection."

"Come, come, master," rejoined the fellow, "that is out of my
commission. You must not double my freight on me--she may go by land--
and, as for protection, her face will protect her from Berwick to the
Land's End."

"You will not except at my doubling the loading, if I double the
fare?" said Nigel, determined on no account to relinquish the
protection of this unhappy woman, for which he had already devised
some sort of plan, likely now to be baffled by the characteristic
rudeness of the Thames watermen.

"Ay, by G--, but I will except, though, "said the fellow with the
green plush jacket: "I will overload my wherry neither for love nor
money--I love my boat as well as my wife, and a thought better."

"Nay, nay, comrade," said his mate, "that is speaking no true water
language. For double fare we are bound to row a witch in her eggshell
if she bid us; and so pull away, Jack, and let us have no more
prating."

They got into the stream-way accordingly, and, although heavily laden,
began to move down the river with reasonable speed.

The lighter vessels which passed, overtook, or crossed them, in their
course, failed not to assail them with their boisterous raillery,
which was then called water-wit; for which the extreme plainness of
Mistress Martha's features, contrasted with the youth, handsome
figure, and good looks of Nigel, furnished the principal topics; while
the circumstance of the boat being somewhat overloaded, did not escape
their notice. They were hailed successively, as a grocer's wife upon a
party of pleasure with her eldest apprentice--as an old woman carrying
her grandson to school--and as a young strapping Irishman, conveying
an ancient maiden to Dr. Rigmarole's, at Redriffe, who buckles beggars
for a tester and a dram of Geneva. All this abuse was retorted in a
similar strain of humour by Greenjacket and his companion, who
maintained the war of wit with the same alacrity with which they were
assailed.

Meanwhile, Lord Glenvarloch asked his desolate companion if she had
thought on any place where she could remain in safety with her
property. She confessed, in more detail than formerly, that her
father's character had left her no friends; and that, from the time he
had