conquer England, dethrone the queen, and establish
the Holy Inquisition in the land; and that he had plotted to deliver up
the settlement to the Spaniards, who would speedily have committed all
the heretics who declined to conform to their faith to the flames. On
their arrival at James Town, Master Nicholas was delivered over to the
authorities, and his guilt being proved, he was hanged on board a ship
in which Sir Thomas Gates shortly afterwards returned to England. The
arms were claimed by the authorities; the rich lading of the prize was
divided among the crew of the _Rainbow_, the officers coming in for
their share.

"Lads," said Ben Tarbox, as the division of the spoil was being made,
"there is a young maiden whom we all know in the settlement, the
firstborn here, and the only one alive of our countrymen and
countrywomen who once dwelt in the land. She is dowerless and
friendless, except her young brother and an old grandfather, who maybe
sleeps in his grave by this time. I am ready to give half of my share,
and I invite those among us who have no kith or kin to give up such
portion of theirs as they may think fit; being very sure that it would
be thus better expended than it will be after the fashion many of us are
apt to get rid of our rhino. Those who think with me hold up their
hands, and those who don't, keep theirs in their pockets."

Ben's appeal was liberally replied to, and no one refused to give a
handsome portion of his share to the fatherless orphan.

Meantime, Mistress Lettice had been labouring diligently to instruct the
uncultivated mind of Virginia, who rapidly improved under her tuition.
From no one, however, did she obtain so much instruction as from her
brother, who, during every moment he could spare from his duties,
devoted himself to teaching her. Her astonishment at seeing the lovely
Pocahontas, dressed in the English fashion, and possessing far more
knowledge of English customs than herself, knew no bounds, and
instigated her to still greater exertions; so that, ere long, she
distanced the young bride in book-learning, if not in other
accomplishments. Harry Rolfe, indeed, at length became persuaded that,
while his wife remained in the country, she would make but slow progress
in such accomplishments as he wished her to acquire, and resolved to
take her to England. Mistress Audley warned him of the danger of
transplanting the flower of a southern region to a northern clime; but
he