Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/55

 put the banns up for you and some country beauty. What do you say, Doctor?"

"Well," chuckled the cleric, entering into the joke, "if a man wants to marry and settle down, and live happily ever after, as the saying goes, why, then, Kent's the place for him. It's a great country, sir, expecially [sic] south and east of the Medway; famous for everything that goes to make life worth living."

"Yes, take him on the whole," said the squire, "the King can boast of no greater jewel in the crown of England than the average man of Kent."

"Well," agreed the captain, "I've heard say that Kent has fine clover fields, and it's evident to me that I'm a lucky devil and have fallen into one. But I must see to the billeting of my men. Perhaps you can advise me?" But the squire wouldn't hear of business until the captain had cracked a bottle of wine with them and promised to lodge himself at the Court House, Doctor Syn readily placing the large brick-built vicarage barn at the disposal of the men.

So having settled all amicably, and promising to return within the hour for supper, the captain, piloted by Doctor Syn, and followed by the seamen, proceeded to inspect the barn; and it was not long before the sailors had converted it into as jolly an old hall as one could wish to see, with a great log-fire ablaze in the stone grate, and a pot of steaming victuals swinging from a hook above the flames.