of
assuming a virtue if he had it not. He pretended to be very modest.

In the meantime Captain Hogg continued his attentions to the real Miss
Hicks; the mate proceeded to get the bullocks on board, and as more than
three weeks had already passed away, it was time to think of departing
for Toulon; but Captain Hogg was too much in love, and as for Gascoigne,
he intended, like all midshipmen in love, to give up the service. Jack
reasoned with the Captain, who appeared to listen to reason, because
Miss Hicks had agreed to follow his fortunes, and crown his transports
in the transport _Mary Ann_. He therefore proposed that they should get
away as fast as they could, and as soon as they had weighed the anchor,
he would come on shore, take off Miss Hicks, and make all sail for
Toulon.

Jack might have suffered this; the difficulty was with Gascoigne, who
would not hear of going away without his lovely Azar. At last Jack
planned a scheme, which he thought would succeed, and which would be a
good joke to tell the Governor. He therefore appeared to consent to
Gascoigne's carrying off his little Moor, and they canvassed how it was
to be managed. Jack then told Gascoigne that he had hit upon a plan
which would succeed. "I find," said he, "from Captain Hogg, that he has
an intention of carrying off Miss Hicks, and when I sounded him as to
his having a lady with him, he objected to it immediately, saying, that
he must have all the cabin to himself and his intended. Now, in the
first place, I have no notion of giving up the cabin to Miss Hicks or
Mrs Hogg. It will be very uncomfortable to be shut out because he
wishes to make love; I therefore am determined that he shall not take
off Miss Hicks. He has proposed to me that he shall go on board, and
get the brig under way, leaving me with a boat on shore to sign the
vouchers, and that Miss Hicks shall slip into the boat when I go off at
dusk. Now I will not bring off Miss Hicks; if he wants to marry her,
let him do it when I am not on board. I have paid for everything, and I
consider the cabin as mine."

"Look you, Ned, if you wish to carry off your little Moor, there is but
one way, and that is a very simple one; leave her a dress of Miss
Hicks's when you go there to-morrow night, and tell her to slip down at
dusk, and come out of the house: all the danger will be in her own
house, for as soon as she is out she will be supposed to be the
vice-consul's sister, and will