'Yes, yes, ma'am, I will; but our time may come. It's _burglary_ on the
high seas, and I'll go fifty miles to see him hanged.'

'Steward!' cried Pickersgill, from the cabin.

'O Lord! he can't have heard me--d'ye think he did, miss?'

'The partitions are very thin, and you spoke very loud,' said Mrs.
Lascelles; 'at all events, go to him quickly.'

'Good-bye, miss; good-bye, ma'am, if I shouldn't see you any more,' said
Maddox, trembling with fear, as he obeyed the awful summons--which was
to demand a toothpick.

Miss Ossulton would not touch the breakfast; not so Mrs. Lascelles and
Cecilia, who ate very heartily.

'It's very dull to be shut up in this cabin,' said Mrs. Lascelles;
'come, Cecilia, let's go on deck.'

'And leave me!' cried Miss Ossulton.

'There is Phoebe here, aunt; we are going up to persuade the pirates
to put us all on shore.'

Mrs. Lascelles and Cecilia put on their bonnets and went up. Lord B.
took off his hat, and begged the honour of being introduced to the
pretty widow. He handed the ladies to a seat, and then commenced
conversing upon various subjects, which at the same time possessed great
novelty. His lordship talked about France, and described its ports; told
now and then a good anecdote; pointed out the different headlands, bays,
towns, and villages, which they were passing rapidly, and always had
some little story connected with each. Before the ladies had been two
hours on deck they found themselves, to their infinite surprise, not
only interested, but in conversation with the captain of the smuggler,
and more than once they laughed outright. But the _soi-disant_ Lord B.
had inspired them with confidence; they fully believed that what he had
told them was true, and that he had taken possession of the yacht to
smuggle his goods, to be revenged, and to have a laugh. Now none of
these three offences are capital in the eyes of the fair sex, and Jack
was a handsome, fine-looking fellow, of excellent manners and very
agreeable conversation; at the same time, neither he nor his friend were
in their general deportment and behaviour otherwise than most
respectful.

'Ladies, as you are not afraid of me, which is a greater happiness than
I had reason to expect, I think you may be amused to witness the fear of
those who accuse your sex of cowardice. With your permission, I will
send for the cook and steward, and inquire about the dinner.'

'I should like to know what there is for dinner,'