With the
amiable familiarity he used, Lord Julian slipped an arm through one
of the Captain's, and fell into step beside him.
"What's this?" snapped Blood, whose mood was fierce and raw. His
lordship was not disturbed.
"I desire, sir, that we be friends," said he suavely.
"That's mighty condescending of you!"
Lord Julian ignored the obvious sarcasm.
"It's an odd coincidence that we should have been brought together
in this fashion, considering that I came out to the Indies especially
to seek you."
"Ye're not by any means the first to do that," the other scoffed.
"But they've mainly been Spaniards, and they hadn't your luck."
"You misapprehend me completely," said Lord Julian. And on that he
proceeded to explain himself and his mission.
When he had done, Captain Blood, who until that moment had stood
still under the spell of his astonishment, disengaged his arm from
his lordship's, and stood squarely before him.
"Ye're my guest aboard this ship," said he, "and I still have some
notion of decent behaviour left me from other days, thief and pirate
though I may be.
Pages:
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408