"I don't think we can go, Dick," said he, with a wink to his
companion; "there's the gentleman over at New Brighton as wants
us."
"But, mayhap, the young woman will pay us handsome for giving her a
last look at her sweetheart," interposed the other.
"Oh, how much do you want? Only make haste--I've enough to pay you,
but every moment is precious," said Mary.
"Ay, that it is. Less than an hour won't take us to the mouth of
the river, and she'll be off by two o'clock!"
Poor Mary's ideas of "plenty of money," however, were different to
those entertained by the boatmen. Only fourteen or fifteen
shillings remained out of the sovereign Margaret had lent her, and
the boatmen, imagining "plenty" to mean no less than several pounds,
insisted upon receiving a sovereign (an exorbitant fare, by-the-bye,
although reduced from their first demand of thirty shillings).
While Charley, with a boy's impatience of delay, and disregard to
money, kept urging--
"Give it 'em, Mary; they'll none of them take you for less. It's
your only chance.
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