he went on board the Badger, and he cursed and he commanded and he
raged; and his officers and his men, when the hurried violence of his
commands gave them a chance to speak to each other, muttered that they
pitied that pirate and his crew when the Badger came up with them.

Clouds settled down upon the home of Mr. Delaplaine. There were no
visitors, there was no music, there seemed to be no sunshine. The
beautiful fabrics, the jewels, and the feathers were seen no more. It
was Kate of the broken heart who wandered under the trees and among the
blossoms, and knew not that there existed such things as cooling shade
and sweet fragrance. She could not be comforted, for, although her uncle
told her that he had had information that her father's ship had sailed
northward, and that it was, therefore, likely that the corvette would
not overtake him, she could not forget that, whatever of good or evil
befell that father, he was a pirate, and he had deserted her.

So they said but little, the uncle and the niece, who sorrowed quietly.

Dame Charter was in a strange state of mind. During the frequent visits
of Captain Vince she had been apprehensive and troubled, and her only
comfort was that the Badger had merely touched at this port to refit,
and that she must soon sail away and take with her her captain. The good
woman had begun to expect and to hope for the return of Dickory, but
later she had blessed her stars that he was not there. He was a fiery
boy, her brave son, but it would have been a terrible thing for him to
become involved with an officer in the navy, a man with a long, keen
sword.

Now that the captain had raged himself away from the Delaplaine house
her spirits rose, and her great fear was that the corvette might not
leave port before the brig came in. If Dickory should hear of the things
that captain had said--but she banished such thoughts from her mind, she
could not bear them.

After some days the corvette sailed, and the Governor spoke well of the
diligence and ardour which had urged Captain Vince to so quickly set out
upon his path of duty.

"When Dickory comes back," said Dame Charter to Kate, "he may bring some
news to cheer your poor heart, things get so twisted in the telling."

Kate shook her head. "Dickory cannot tell me anything now," she said,
"that I care to know, knowing so much. My father is a pirate, and a
king's ship has gone out to destroy him, and what could Dickory tell me
that would c