Peace has been declared with France, and what
more natural than that a party of English should be travelling to see
the West Indies? Or what more likely than that, after what has
happened, the doctor has advised a sea-voyage, to soothe your mind?
As for me, I am Harry's tutor; every one in Falmouth knows it, and
thinks me lucky to get the billet. It won't take five minutes to
explain Mr. Goodfellow here, just as easily--"
"And as for me," struck in Miss Belcher, "I'm an old madwoman, with
more money than I know what to do with. And as for Jack Rogers, I'm
eloping with him to a coral island."
Mr. Rogers checked himself on the edge of a guffaw.
"But, I say, Lydia, you're not serious about this?" he asked.
"I don't know, Jack. I rather think I am. I'm getting an old woman,
mad or not; and the hours drag with me sometimes up at the house.
But"--and here she looked up with one of those rare smiles that set
you thinking she must have been pretty in her time--"there's this
advantage in having followed my own will for fifty years: that no one
any longer troubles to be surprised at anything I may do.
You're something of an eccentric yourself, Jack. You had better join
the picnic."
"I ought to warn you, ma'am," said Captain Branscome gravely, "that
although the West India route has been fairly well protected for some
months now, there _is_ a certain amount of risk from American
privateers.
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