ng for Captain Audley. His words greatly raised Mistress
Audley's spirits; for he was evidently a man who would carry out
whatever he purposed. Already advancing towards middle life, he
possessed an eagle eye, a determined expression of countenance, and a
strongly-knit figure capable of enduring fatigue and hardship.

Harry Rolfe further informed his relations that he and Captain Smith
were on their way to join their ship, the _Hector_, at Plymouth, into
which port she and several others were to put before proceeding on their
voyage. The countenance of Harry Rolfe brightened as he heard that his
relatives purposed proceeding to Virginia; but Lettice turning away her
head as he expressed his pleasure at the thoughts of their coming, he
looked disappointed and grieved. Mistress Audley, as in courtesy bound,
invited her visitors to remain to supper; but they excused themselves on
the plea that they must hasten on in case their ship should arrive at
Plymouth, and expected to sleep some ten miles further on their road.
Taking their leave, therefore, they proceeded on their journey.

Mistress Audley was naturally agitated with many doubts and fears as to
the propriety of proceeding. She herself was ready to encounter any
dangers or hardships for the purpose of encouraging the search for her
husband, and for the sake of sooner meeting him, but she doubted whether
it was right to expose her young daughter Lettice to such risk; while
her eldest son, though without him she could not proceed, would be drawn
away from his studies at Cambridge and from the career he had chosen;
but her children were unanimous in their desire to go to Virginia, and
Lettice declared that even without such a motive she would willingly
undertake the voyage.

She had a near neighbour, Captain Massey White, once Governor so called
of Virginia, though there had been few men to govern, and those very
ungovernable. He was now advanced in life and broken in health. Him
she consulted: he spoke cautiously. If the new adventurers acted wisely
they might succeed. The country was of exceeding richness, and the
natives, though savage, might be won over. He could not advise a wife
against seeking her husband, though many dangers must be encountered.
To him the subject brought sad recollection. His only daughter and her
husband, Ananias Dane, with their infant, a little girl, had been
slaughtered with many others by the Indians, their only other child,
t