"Far wiser."
"And you will be leading your men into something very desperate."
"They will not mind."
"And La Mouette may be wrecked, instead of lying peacefully at anchor in a port across the channel."
"La Mouette was not built to lie peacefully in a port."
They looked at each other across the ashes, and his eyes held her for a long instant, with a light in them like the flame that had spent itself in the fire, and at last he stretched himself and yawned, and said:
"It is a pity indeed that you are not a boy, you could have come with me."
"Why must I be a boy to do that?"
"Because women who are afraid of killing fishes are too delicate and precious for pirate ships."
She watched him a moment, biting the end of her finger, and then she said,
"Do you really believe that?"
"Naturally."
"Will you let me come this once, to prove to you that you are wrong?"
"You would be sea-sick," he said.
"No."
"You would be cold, and uncomfortable, and frightened."
"No."
"You would beg me to put you ashore just as my plans were about to work successfully."
"No."
She stared at him, antagonistic, angry, and he rose to his feet suddenly, and laughed, kicking the last embers of the fire, so that the glow was gone, and the night became dark.
"How much," she said, "will you wager that I am sick, and cold, and frightened?"
"It depends," he said, "what we have to offer each other."
"My ear-rings," she said, "you can have my ruby earrings. The ones I wore when you supped with me at Navron."
"Yes," he said, "they would be a prize indeed.
There would be little excuse for piracy if I possessed them.
And what will you demand of me, should you win your wager?"
"Wait," she said, "let me think," and standing silently a moment beside him, looking down into the water, she said, seized with amusement, with devilry:
"A lock from Godolphin's wig."
"You shall have the wig itself," he said.
"Very good," she said, turning, and making her way down to the boat, "then we need discuss the matter no further.
It is all arranged.
When do we sail?"
"When I have made my plans."
"And you start work tomorrow?"
"I start work tomorrow."
"I will take care not to disturb you.
I too must lay my plans.
I think I shall have to become indisposed, and take to my bed, and my malady will be of a feverish sort, so that the nurse and the children are denied my room. Only William will attend me.
And each day dear faithful William will bear food and drink to the patient who - will not be there."
"You have an ingenious mind."
She stepped into the boat, and seizing the paddles he rowed silently up the creek, until the hull of the pirate ship loomed before them in the soft grey light.
A voice hailed them from the ship, and he answered in Breton, and passing on brought the boat to the landing place at the head of the creek.
They walked up through the woods without a word, and as they came to the gardens of the house, the clock in the courtyard struck the half-hour.
Down the avenue William would be waiting with the carriage, so that she could drive up to the house as she had planned.
"I trust you enjoyed your dinner with Lord Godolphin," said the Frenchman.
"Very much so," she answered.
"And the fish was not too indifferently cooked?"
"The fish was delicious."
"You will lose your appetite when we go to sea."
"On the contrary, the sea air will make me ravenous."