Felipa was very fond of her father in spite of being a little afraid of
him; he had always been indulgent to her, and she fretted at seeing
nothing of him. The truth was, that the Governor preferred even looking
after the betrayed fortresses to seeing the sorrow of his children; and
he was much afraid Felipa would reproach him for having allowed Carlo to
be imprisoned.
As the girls would not leave the sitting-room, through which alone they
could get at Carlo, Catalina spread some mattresses on the floor for
them; and this evening they slept soundly in spite of their many
misfortunes.
They were up at sunrise, and were all impatience for the first tidings
which Harry had promised to bring them; but when at last they heard his
voice, and let him in, he was not in a very cheerful mood.
’When is Captain Morgan going away?’ asked Etta, whose sweet face and
golden hair made Harry hunger all the more for his home, in order that
he might send or fetch her. ’Make haste and tell us good news. I have
a lovely plan for saving you from these people, Harry Fenn, but I dare
not tell it yet I would dearly love to hear their hue and cry after you.
How they would boggle at finding you gone!’
’You need not make plans for me, Mistress Etta: the Captain has even
just now told me that he wishes me to go aboard one of his ships. He
knows I will not fight, but he would fain make me act spy on the others.
But see, this is all I could find for you, Catalina. Here are some yams
and bananas and bread. I wanted to bring you a cooked fowl, but one of
the men was angry at what he called my huge appetite. They think that
as I will not do all their work I must not eat the good things, and that
I am not worth my provender, as they put it.’
’But when shall you go?’ asked Felipa, who looked so much more cheerful
this morning that Harry could not help noticing it.
’No, no: you must not go!’ said Etta, seizing his hand. ’Stay with us,
and we will send you back to England. The Señora Felipa will ask her
father, and when the pirates are gone----’
’Thank you for your kind good offices; but your plan is impossible, for
Captain Morgan does not mean to leave Santa Teresa just yet; he is
sending out four ships and a boat to try how he gets on in those parts.’
’Where?’
’That I durst not say, Señora; it was only by accident that I overheard
it; but I know that, in the future, the Captain’s mind is set upon
taking the great town of Panama.’
’He will never do that,’ said Felipa, tossing her head. ’There is a
strong garrison there, and His Catholic Majesty would never forgive them
if they allowed it to be taken by such needy gallants as your crew.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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