'In spite of my father's objections to pirates, Captain Jackman,' said Ada Conway, leaning back in her chair, and beginning to laugh, and showing a fine set of white and even teeth, 'if I had your ship, I would equip her as a privateer, and sail away as a sea-robber. What splendid luck should _always_ attend such enterprises, seeing that your quarry is the clumsy, unprepared, easily-frightened merchantman! whilst you--a single broadside might settle the matter, and win you enough treasure to fill you a large cave with.' Captain Jackman, laughing lightly and gazing with admiration at the young lady, tapped applause of her sentiments with his knife upon the table. 'I would advise you to stick to the honourable red flag,' said the commander. 'Freights are always ruling low, as they call it,' answered the captain, 'and a man wants an office and a book-keeper; and there are expenses ashore going on,' said he, addressing the commander, but with occasional side looks at Ada. 'But, depend on't, any scheme I may form shall provide for my neck.' 'I cannot, I will say, consider the revenue worth the loss of a drop of blood, were it not for the officials of it,' said the commander, who was making a great breakfast of fried sole. 'How are your blockaders coming forward, sir?' inquired the captain. 'They are very sparsely settled at present, and they are not coming forward. I doubt if there's half-a-dozen preventives betwixt this and St. Ives. It must grow into a considerable force if it is to protect the revenue. They keep their few best men about Folkestone and Ramsgate; and _there_ the fighting is mostly going on. Calais is near; so is Dunkirk. The Goodwins are convenient for dodging.' 'What could have made them construct such caves as Miss Conway and I were locked up in?' asked the captain. 'They probably had an idea. In the middle of it they found that it would not work out, so they dropped it with the dexterity of men accustomed to rapidity of thought and action.' 'I believe there are similar caves some leagues round the coast--Cornwall way--perhaps in Cornwall,' said the captain. The girl, looking at him a little expressively, said, 'You had better take two candles with you next time.' He smiled and bowed, whilst she was all geniality and kindness, in arch humour of fair face of gipsy cast. 'I do not believe, madam,' said he, 'that I shall disturb the silence of another smuggler's cell.' 'Booty or no booty?' 'Don't mislead the gentleman, Ada,' exclaimed her father. 'There is no booty. I would not give the value of this button,' said he, fingering one of his coat-buttons, 'for the whole of the booty that you shall find deliberately left, never more to be fetched by these free-traders.' 'I had hoped,' said Ada, whose eyes shone over her mounted colour, 'that you were going to submit a romantic project; I am very romantic myself. I could die for a lovely young man.' The commander grinned.