me?" she questioned earnestly. "It
will not lower your belief in my womanhood?"

"Nothing could do that. Mistress Dorothy, I want you to realize the
depth of my interest and respect. Your friendliness has meant much to
me, and I would never urge you to lower your ideals. But we must face
this situation as it is. You cannot cling now to the standards of
London, or even Maryland. We are on the ocean, upon a pirate ship,
surrounded by men utterly devoid of all restraint--hell-hounds of the
sea, who live by murder and pillage. We possess but two weapons of
defense--deceit, or force. A resort to the latter is at present
impossible. I cannot conceive that you are lowering yourself in any
way by using the power you possess to escape violence--"

"The power I possess?"

"Yes--beauty and wit. These are your weapons, and most effective ones.
You can play with Estada and defeat him--temporarily at least. I
confess there is danger in such a game--he is a wild beast, and his
evil nature may overcome his discretion. You are armed?"

"No; I have never felt the need."

"Then take this," and I thrust a pistol into her hands. "I took it
from the rack in the cabin, and can get another. It is charged; keep
it hidden about your person, but use it only when all else fails. Do
you see this necessity now from my standpoint?"

"Yes," hesitatingly, "all that you say is true, but--but the thought
frightens me; it--it is like creeping into a lion's cage having only a
fan with which to defend myself."

I smiled at her conceit.

"A fan rightly used is no insignificant weapon. In the hands of a
woman it has won many a victory. I have faith in your wielding it to
the best effect--the lasting discomfiture of Senor Estada."

"You laugh," indignantly, "believing me a coquette--a girl to play
with men?"

"No; that misconstrues my thought. I believe you a true woman, yet
possessing the natural instincts of your sex, and able to use your
weapons efficiently. There is no evil in that, no reproach. I would
not have you otherwise, and we must not misunderstand each other. You
retain faith in me?"

"Implicitly."

"And pledge yourself to your part, leaving me to attend to mine?"

Her two hands clasped my fingers, her eyes uplifted.

"Geoffry Carlyle, I have always believed in you, and now, after the
sacrifice you have made to serve me, I can refuse you nothing you ask.
I will endeavor to accomplish all you require of me. God knows how I
hate