n
deck."

"Who was she?" asked Amyas of Cary.

"A Spanish angel, Amyas."

"Humph!" said Amyas. "So much the worse for her, to be born into a
nation of devils."

"They'em not all so bad as that, yer honor. Her husband was a proper
gallant gentleman, and kind as a maid, too, and couldn't abide that De
Solis's murderous doings."

"His wife must have taught it him, then," said Amyas, rising. "Where did
you hear of these black swans, Cary?"

"I have heard of them, and that's enough," answered he, unwilling to
stir sad recollections.

"And little enough," said Amyas. "Will, don't talk to me. The devil is
not grown white because he has trod in a lime-heap."

"Or an angel black because she came down a chimney," said Cary; and so
the talk ended, or rather was cut short; for the talk of all the groups
was interrupted by an explosion from old John Hawkins.

"Fail? Fail? What a murrain do you here, to talk of failing? Who made
you a prophet, you scurvy, hang-in-the-wind, croaking, white-livered son
of a corby-crow?"

"Heaven help us, Admiral Hawkins, who has put fire to your culverins in
this fashion?" said Lord Howard.

"Who? my lord! Croakers! my lord! Here's a fellow calls himself the
captain of a ship, and her majesty's servant, and talks about failing,
as if he were a Barbican loose-kirtle trying to keep her apple-squire
ashore! Blurt for him, sneak-up! say I."

"Admiral John Hawkins," quoth the offender, "you shall answer this
language with your sword."

"I'll answer it with my foot; and buy me a pair of horn-tips to my
shoes, like a wraxling man. Fight a croaker? Fight a frog, an owl! I
fight those that dare fight, sir!"

"Sir, sir, moderate yourself. I am sure this gentleman will show himself
as brave as any, when it comes to blows: but who can blame mortal man
for trembling before so fearful a chance as this?"

"Let mortal man keep his tremblings to himself, then, my lord, and not
be like Solomon's madmen, casting abroad fire and death, and saying, it
is only in sport. There is more than one of his kidney, your lordship,
who have not been ashamed to play Mother Shipton before their own
sailors, and damp the poor fellows' hearts with crying before they're
hurt, and this is one of them. I've heard him at it afore, and I'll
present him, with a vengeance, though I'm no church-warden."

"If this is really so, Admiral Hawkins--"

"It is so, my lord! I heard only last night, down in a tavern below,
such un