Part 12 (2/2)
”I was bidden,” said he presently, ”to carry you to Barbary and sell you there into the service of the Moors That I ht serve you, I made believe to accept this task”
”God's death!” swore Sir Oliver ”You carry ainst me It were no intention o' mine to ha'
coale That is overpast, and so that ye'll proood so out of o that I wot of, I'll put about and fetch you hoain within a week”
Sir Oliver looked at hiue are you that can keep faith with none!” he cried ”First you take money to carry ain”
”Ye wrong me, sir, I vow ye do! I can keep faith when honest men employ me, and ye should know it, Sir Oliver But who keeps faith with rogues is a fool--and that I a that a rogue ht make some little profit out of this shi+p o' mine I am frank with ye, Sir Oliver I ha' had some two hundred pounds in money and trinkets from your brother Give me the like and”
But now of a sudden Sir Oliver's listlessness was all dispelled It fell from him like a cloak, and he sat forward, wide awake and with soer even
”How do you say?” he cried, on a sharp, high note
The captain stared at hilected ”I say that if so be as ye'll pay me the same sum which your brother paid ht ”Do you say my brother?”
”I said your brother”
”Master Lionel?” the other demanded still
”What other brothers have you?” quoth Master Leigh
There fell a pause and Sir Oliver looked straight before him, his head sunken a little between his shoulders ”Let th ”Do you say that my brother Lionel paid you money to carry me off--in short, that my presence aboard this foul hulk of yours is due to him?”
”Whom else had ye suspected? Or did ye think that I did it for my own personal diversion?”
”Answerin his bonds
”I ha' answered you ain, since ye are slow to understand it, that I was paid a matter of two hundred pound by your brother, Master Lionel Tressilian, to carry you off to Barbary and there sell you for a slave Is that plain to you?”
”As plain as it is false You lie, you dog!”
”Softly, softly!” quoth Master Leigh, good-huh considered hith, and without another word he rose and went to a sea-chest ranged against the wooden wall of the cabin He opened it and took thence a leather bag From this he produced a handful of jewels He thrust them under Sir Oliver's nose ”Haply,” said he, ”ye'll be acquainted with soiven me to make up the sum since your brother had not the whole two hundred pound in coin Take a look at the pear-shaped pearl earring that had been his brother's; he recognized a o; and so, one by one, he recognized every trinket placed before him