I'll accept the situation as I find it. Yourself you've
fixed the ransom of this couple at twenty thousand pieces, and, as
I gather, the lady is to be your perquisite. But why should she be
your perquisite more than another's, seeing that she belongs by the
articles to all of us, as a prize of war?"
Black as thunder grew the brow of Levasseur.
"However," added Captain Blood, "I'll not dispute her to you if you
are prepared to buy her."
"Buy her?"
"At the price you have set upon her."
Levasseur contained his rage, that he might reason with the Irishman.
"That is the ransom of the man. It is to be paid for him by the
Governor of Tortuga."
"No, no. Ye've parcelled the twain together - very oddly, I
confess. Ye've set their value at twenty thousand pieces, and for
that sum you may have them, since you desire it; but you'll pay for
them the twenty thousand pieces that are ultimately to come to you
as the ransom of one and the dowry of the other; and that sum shall
be divided among our crews. So that you do that, it is conceivable
that our followers may take a lenient view of your breach of the
articles we jointly signed.
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