The String of Pearls (1850), p. 530

London as they made up. It will be seen that there were no less than three couples intent upon matrimony, for although it was understood that Tobias was to wait two years yet before he married, he looked as happy as the rest.
A large eight-oared barge was at the stairs at the bottom of the street to convey them, and as they all walked to it arm in-arm, and in couples, everybody who met them would have it that it was a wedding, and many jocular remarks were made to them by the way.
"Upon my word," said Sir Richard, "I shall be considered a match-maker, and folks will say that I keep this office of my own only as a matrimonial speculation."
"You certainly," said the colonel, "have been the cause of two or three matches, at all events, for, but for you, I doubt if any of us would have felt as we feel to day, Sir Richard."
"He has restored Mark Ingestrie to me," said Johanna.
"And my Johanna to me," said Ingestrie.
"And my dear Minna to me," cried Tobias.
"Stop—stop!" cried Sir Richard.
"And I am quite certain," said the colonel, "that I owe to him the joy of calling Arabella mine."
Sir Richard Blunt came now to a halt, as he said—
"Stop, all of you, or I will not go one step further. If we get into this kind of talk, who is to say where it will end? Let us enjoy ourselves, and make it a rule to say anything but revert to the past. It has its joys and its sorrows, but it had better upon this occasion be left to itself."
"Agreed—agreed," said everybody.
The barge was a very handsome one. Indeed Sir Richard Blunt had borrowed it of one of the city companies for the occasion, and beneath the gay awning they could all sit with perfect ease.
And now in the course of another five minutes they were going down the river, quite at a slashing pace, towards the old Tower; and as they were animated by the many pleasing sights upon the river, their conversation soon became animated and spirited.
"What is that?—A wherry coming towards us from the Temple-stairs," said the colonel.
All eyes were bent upon the wherry, which shot out from the little landing-place by the side of the Temple Gardens, and presently they, with one accord, cried out—
"Its Hector!"
In truth Hector was there, but with him was the colonel's new groom, the late ostler, who had been so efficient a protector to the dog, and the captain of the ship, whom he knew so well.
"Barge a-hoi!" cried the captain.
"Ay—ay!" shouted Ingestrie in reply, and the wherry shot alongside the barge.
"Well," said the captain, "I do think for you all to go on such a party as this, and not ask me and Hector, is too bad."
"But," said Sir Richard Blunt, "you told me you were going to be very busy at the docks."
"So I did, but I found our owner had not come to town, and I have nothing to do to-day. I called at your house, colonel, hoping to be in time to come with you, but you had gone. Hector, however, saw me, and made such a racket I was forced to bring him."
"And no one can be more glad to see you and Hector than I," cried the colonel.
"And I didn't like, sir," said the ostler,, "not for to come for to go, when Pison said as he'd like to come."
"Very good," said the colonel smiling. "Come on board.''
The waterman who was with the wherry laid it alongside the barge, and