"From the first day I met her she was the only woman to me. Every day of that voyage I loved her more and many a time since have I kneeled down in the darkness of the night watch and kissed the deck of that ship because I knew her dear feet had trod it. She was never engaged to me. She treated me as fairly as ever a woman treated a man. I have no complaint to make. It was all love on my side and all good comradeship and friendship on hers. When we parted she was a free woman but I could never again be a free man."