“Well, governor, they do say that ‘many men, many minds,’” he replied, after a brief pause; “and I suppose it’s as true about religion, as in a judgment of ships, or in a ch’ice of a wife.  If all men took to the same woman, or all seamen shipped for the same craft, a troublesome household, and a crowded and onhealthy vessel, would be the upshot on’t.”

“We have a choice given us by Providence, both as to ships and as to wives, Captain Betts; but no choice is allowed any of us in what relates to religion.  In that, we are to mind the sailor’s maxim, ’to obey orders if we break owners.’”

“Little fear of ‘breaking owners,’ I fancy, governor.  But, the difficulty is to know what orders is.  Now, Friends doesn’t hold, at all, to dressing and undressing in church time; and I think, myself, books is out of place in praying to God.”

“And is there much said among the people, Captain Betts, about the parson’s gown and surplice, and about his reading his prayers, instead of writing them out, and getting them by heart?”

There was a little malice in the governor’s question, for he was too much behind the curtain to be the dupe of any pretending claims to sudden inspirations, and well knew that every sect had its liturgy, though only half-a-dozen have the honesty to print them.  The answer of his friend was, as usual, frank, and to the point.

“I cannot say but there is, Mr. Mark.  As for the clothes, women will talk about them, as you well know, sir; it being their natur’ to be dressing themselves out, so much.  Then as to praying from the book, quite half of our people think it is not any better than no praying at all.  A little worse, perhaps, if truth was spoken.”

“I am sorry to hear this, Betts.  From the manner in which they attend the services, I was in hopes that prejudices were abating, and that everybody was satisfied.”

“I don’t think, governor, that there is any great danger of a mutiny; though, many men, many minds, as I said before.  But, my business here is forgotten all this time; and I know it isn’t with your honour now as it used to be with us both, when we had nothing to think of but the means of getting away from this place, into some other that we fancied might be better.  I wish you joy, sir, in having got the two new brigs into the water.”

“Thank you, Captain Betts.  Does your present visit relate to either of those brigs?”

“Why, to come to the p’int, it does, sir.  I’ve taken a fancy to the Dragon, and should like to buy her.”

“Buy her!  Have you any notion what such a vessel will cost, Betts?”

“Not a great way from eight thousand dollars, I should think, governor, now that the copper is on.  Some things is charged high, in this part of the world, about a wessel, and other some isn’t.  Take away the copper, and I should think a good deal less would buy either.”

“And have you eight thousand dollars at command, my friend, with which to purchase the brig?”