ung gentleman there" (looking at Amyas), "that
he might be warned in time of God's wrath against the crying sin of
adultery, and flee youthful lusts, which war against the soul."

"Thou hast done wisely enough, then," said Sir Richard; "and look to it
if I do not reward thee: but the young gentleman here, thank God, needs
no such warnings, having got them already both by precept and example,
where thou and poor Oxenham might have had them also."

"You mean Captain Drake, your worship?"

"I do, sirrah. If all men were as clean livers as he, the world would be
spared one half the tears that are shed in it."

"Amen, sir. At least there would have been many a tear spared to us and
ours. For--as all must out--in that bark of Lima he took a young
lady, as fair as the sunshine, sir, and seemingly about two or
three-and-twenty years of age, having with her a tall young lad of
sixteen, and a little girl, a marvellously pretty child, of about a
six or seven. And the lady herself was of an excellent beauty, like a
whale's tooth for whiteness, so that all the crew wondered at her, and
could not be satisfied with looking upon her. And, gentlemen, this was
strange, that the lady seemed in no wise afraid or mournful, and bid
her little girl fear naught, as did also Mr. Oxenham: but the lad kept a
very sour countenance, and the more when he saw the lady and Mr. Oxenham
speaking together apart.

"Well, sir, after this good luck we were minded to have gone straight
back to the river whence we came, and so home to England with all speed.
But Mr. Oxenham persuaded us to return to the island, and get a few more
pearls. To which foolishness (which after caused the mishap) I verily
believe he was moved by the instigation of the devil and of that lady.
For as we were about to go ashore, I, going down into the cabin of the
prize, saw Mr. Oxenham and that lady making great cheer of each other
with, 'My life,' and 'My king,' and 'Light of my eyes,' and such toys;
and being bidden by Mr. Oxenham to fetch out the lady's mails, and take
them ashore, heard how the two laughed together about the old ape of
Panama (which ape, or devil rather, I saw afterwards to my cost), and
also how she said that she had been dead for five years, and now that
Mr. Oxenham was come, she was alive again, and so forth.

"Mr. Oxenham bade take the little maid ashore, kissing her and playing
with her, and saying to the lady, 'What is yours is mine, and what is
mine i