And you know, too, or I know, that the lad has just that amount of
spirit in him that he wouldn't hesitate to cast away the ship and all
hands--himself included--or to play us any other awkward trick if he saw
a chance of spoiling our plans for the recovery of a few of the good
things that we've been defrauded out of. Now, so long as this young
girl is all safe and sound we have nothing to fear from his treachery,
because, d'ye see, I'm going to tell him and her--as I do now--that any
act, or even suspicion, of treachery on _his_ part will be followed by
the young woman being turned adrift by herself in the dinghy; and,
rather than see her come to harm, he will be faithful to us, and carry
out our orders to the best of his ability. But if evil comes to her we
shall lose our hold upon him at once--I say all this before him because
I've studied him and know him, and I want him to understand as much--and
it has, therefore, been agreed that any man who interferes with the
young lady will be shot at once and on the spot. So, now, mates, as
you've had the whole affair explained to you, it is to be hoped you'll
shape your behaviour accordingly."

"Stop a moment!" exclaimed Ned, as Williams waved his hand by way of
dismissal to his little audience, "it seems, from what Williams has
said, that Miss Stanhope has been detained a prisoner solely on my
account. If that be really the case, I wish to say that, if you will
release her and put her on shore with her friends on the island yonder,
I swear to you that, though I will never take part in any piracies or
other unlawful acts which you may commit, I will in every other respect
be absolutely faithful to you, and will navigate the ship whithersoever
you will, to the best of my ability. This is no light sacrifice for a
young man in my position to make; yet I will make it cheerfully, and
take any oath of fidelity you may choose to impose upon me."

"It is no use, Ned; we can't--we dare not do it," answered Williams.
"You mean what you say--_now_--I don't doubt; but if you ever had a
chance to betray us, as you may have, you wouldn't be able to resist the
temptation. No; the matter has been fully talked over, and the young
lady must stay."

Ned was about to make a further effort on Sibylla's behalf, but the girl
herself stopped him.

"Humble yourself no more to these men!" she said; "it will be of no
avail, I can clearly see. And trouble not yourself on my behalf. God
is