to lead a virtuous life; but my evil passions
had got too strong a hold of me, and my good resolutions were speedily
broken.

"One day little Eva told me that she had been picked up in a boat at
sea; and she afterwards showed me a gold chain and locket which had been
found round her neck. I remembered it perfectly; and when she told me
that she had a brother, and I considered that the initials of the names
were the same, I had not the slightest doubt that I had discovered the
children who were supposed to have been lost at sea. It at once
occurred to me that I might turn the circumstance to my own advantage;
and I resolved to return to England, and to put her in the way of
regaining her rights. I knew that there was a great risk, but the
romance and adventure pleased me; and when I told her that I had the
means of serving you and her, she vowed that she would never consent to
see me punished for anything that had occurred, and that she was certain
that you also, and Sir Charles Plowden, would protect me.

"When I proposed to go to England, my crew would not hear of it. They
had been disappointed in their share of Mrs Clayton's property; and
they declared that they must have the ship full of booty before they
would go into harbour, and that if I would not consent I should share
the fate of the master.

"We were tolerably successful, and for a long time no ship of war
appeared inclined to molest us; at length your schooner appeared, and on
two or three occasions nearly came up with us. I should have fought
you, and might have beaten you off; but when, after some time, I learned
who you were, which information I gained by going in disguise to some of
the Dutch settlements where you had touched, I was anxious to avoid you.
I had a notion that if I attempted further to injure you, the attempt
would recoil on my own head. During this time your young sister was
tolerably contented on board. I did my best to amuse her, for I truly
was fond of the child, and she little knew how bad we were.

"Mrs Clayton, however, suffered much, and her health and strength soon
gave way. She prayed me to set her and Eva on shore; but I dared not do
so, lest they might betray me; and I had my own reasons, which I have
told you, for keeping the little girl with me. At last the poor lady
sunk beneath her sorrows. Even my fierce crew pitied her; and, when too
late, they would have set her on shore. She died, and we buried her at
sea.