At this, I beckoned to Marie and Lotte. Her arm around Marie’s waist, Lotte walked with her back to the gate. When they were beside us, I put my good left arm on her shoulders and said, “Reverend Thruston, this is Marie, my physician. She is an angel, sent by our Lord to save my life in Quebec. When can you make us husband and wife?”

His response was perfect. “Well, I suppose I can do it right now. We have witnesses, water in the trough, wine in your house. How about rings? Did either of you bring rings?”

At this, Marie laughed and said, “Oh, well, if we must wait until tomorrow, it will give me a chance to clean up a bit. That’s not too bad, since we have been a month getting here.

“A month!” proclaimed Rev. Thruston. “That’s more time than most married couples spend together in a year. What did you talk about?”

She paused to see if I was going to respond and when I didn’t, she said, “I talked about a wedding and having children. All he talks about is how quickly he and Captain Morgan can get together to drive those red-breasted bâtards7 out of America.”

At this, Sgt. Cady, seated in the driver’s seat of the carriage said, “May I stay for both?”

Endnotes

1. Rue du Sault-au-Matelot, rough translation: “Street of the sailor’s leap” [or, “fall”]

2. Sally port: A heavy door in a gate or barricade designed to open only toward the attackers so defenders can emerge and counter-attack.

3. Ephesians 6:10–18 King James Version (KJV)

10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

4. Tun: an archaic (but still used) term for the measurement of volume. In the eighteenth century, a hand-made wooden cask, built by a “cooper” (or cask-maker) of oak staves and iron “hoops,” to ship a tun of liquid (usually wine or “spirits” such as rum) would hold 216 imperial gallons (260 U.S. gallons).