ord for them; and I do not think,"
said Plinny, "that you, ma'am, can have heard Captain Branscome's
story without honouring him."

Miss Belcher, thus appealed to, answered only with a grunt, at the
same time shooting from under her shaggy eyebrows an amused glance at
the Captain, who stared at the table-cloth to hide his confusion,
which, however, was betrayed by a pair of very red ears.

"All this," pursued Plinny, "I saw by degrees, and that it was
marvellous; but next came something more marvellous still, for I saw
that if one had gone forth to choose six persons to carry out this
business, he could not have chosen six better fitted for it."

From the effect of this astounding proposition Miss Lydia Belcher was
the first to recover herself.

"Thank you, my dear," she murmured; "on behalf of myself and the
company, as they say. It is true that in all these years I have
overlooked my qualifications for a buccaneering job; but I'll think
them out as you proceed."

"Oh!" exclaimed Plinny, "I wasn't counting on you, ma'am, to
accompany this expedition; nor on Mr. Rogers. You are great folks as
compared with us, and have public duties--a stake in the country--
great wealth to administer. Yet I was thinking that, while we are
abroad, there may happen to be business at home requiring attention,
and that we may perhaps rely on you--who have shown so much interest
in this sad affair."

"Meaning that we have been dipping our fingers pretty deep into this
pie. Well, and so we have; and thank you again, my dear, for putting
it so delicately."

"But I meant nothing of the sort--indeed I didn't!" protested Plinny.

"Tut, tut! Of course you didn't, but it's the truth nevertheless.
Well, then, it appears that Jack Rogers and I are to be the
spotsmen[1] for this little expedition, and that you and Captain
Branscome, and Mr. Goodfellow, and--yes, and Harry, too, I suppose--
are to be the Red Rovers and scour the Spanish Main. All right; only
you don't look it, exactly."

"But is not that half the battle?" urged the indomitable Plinny.
"They'll be so much the less likely to suspect us."

"They--whoever they may be--will certainly be so far deluded."

"And really--if you will consider it, ma'am--what I am proposing is
not ridiculous at all. For what is chiefly wanted for such an
adventure? In the first place, a ship--and thank God I have means to
hire one, in the second place, a trustworthy navigator--and here, by