"Why, Mr. Carstone," said Mrs. Badger, "is very well and is, I assure you, a great acquisition to our society. Captain Swosser used to say of me that I was always better than land a-head and a breeze a-starn to the midshipmen's mess when the purser's junk had become as tough as the fore-topsel weather earings. It was his naval way of mentioning generally that I was an acquisition to any society. I may render the same tribute, I am sure, to Mr. Carstone. But I--you won't think me premature if I mention it?"

"Why, he is very well," said Mrs. Badger, "and a great acquisition to our society. Captain Swosser used to say of me that I was an acquisition to any society. I may render the same tribute, I am sure, to Mr. Carstone. But - you won't think me premature if I mention it?"
