Do you mean, you foolish boy," exclaimed Dame Charter, "to say that you
presume to love our Mistress Kate?" And her eyes glowed upon him with
all the warmth of a mother's pride, for this was the wish of her heart,
and never absent from it.

"Ay, mother," said Dickory, "I shall fight for her; I shall show her
that I am worthier than he is and that I love her better. I shall even
strive for her if that mad pirate comes back and tries to overset
everything."

"Oh, do it before that!" cried Dame Charter, anxiety in every wrinkle.
"Do it before that!"

Mr. Delaplaine was a little troubled by the promised visit from
Barbadoes. He had heard of Master Newcombe as being a most estimable
young man, but the fault about him, in his opinion, was that he resided
not in Jamaica. For a long time the good merchant had lived his own
life, with no one to love him, and he now had with him his sister's
child, whom he had come to look upon as a daughter, and he did not wish
to give her up. It was true that it might be possible, under favourable
pressure, to induce young Newcombe to come to Jamaica and settle there,
but this was all very vague. Had he had his own way, he would have
driven from Kate every thought of love or marriage until the time when
his new clerk, Dickory Charter, had become a young merchant of good
standing, worthy of such a wife. Then he might have been willing to give
Kate to Dickory, and Dickory would have given her to him, and they might
have all been happy. That is, if that hare-brained Bonnet did not come
home.

The Delaplaine family did not go much into society at that time, for
people had known about the pirate and his ship, the Revenge, and the
pursuit upon which Captain Vince of the royal corvette Badger had been
sent. They had all heard, too, of the death of Captain Vince, and some
of them were not quite certain whether he had been killed by the pirate
Bonnet or another desperado equally dangerous. Knowing all this,
although if they had not known it they would scarcely have found it out
from the speech of their neighbours, the Delaplaines kept much to
themselves. And they were happy, and the keynote of their happiness was
struck by Kate, whose thankful heart could never forget the death of
Captain Vince.

Mr. Delaplaine made his proper visit to Spanish Town, to carry his
thanks and to tell the Governor how things had happened to him; and the
Governor still showed his interest in Mistress Kate Bonnet, and