To be sold into
slavery! Ugh!" His lordship shuddered. "And to a damned colonial
planter!" He checked abruptly. "I beg your pardon, Miss Bishop.
For the moment...."
"You were carried away by your heat in defence of this...
sea-robber." Miss Bishop's scorn was almost fierce.
His lordship stared at her again. Then he half-closed his large,
pale eyes, and tilted his head a little. "I wonder why you hate him
so," he said softly.
He saw the sudden scarlet flame upon her cheeks, the heavy frown
that descended upon her brow. He had made her very angry, he judged.
But there was no explosion. She recovered.
"Hate him? Lord! What a thought! I don't regard the fellow at all."
"Then ye should, ma'am." His lordship spoke his thought frankly.
"He's worth regarding. He'd be an acquisition to the King's navy - a
man that can do the things he did this morning. His service under de
Ruyter wasn't wasted on him. That was a great seaman, and - blister
me! - the pupil's worthy the master if I am a judge of anything. I
doubt if the Royal Navy can show his equal.
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