"`No, no,' he answered, in a low, jeering tone; `you can't deceive me, my man. She looks upon you as an officer and a gentleman. Ha, ha, ha! With one like me, a poor man before the mast, the case would be different. I'll tell you what it is, Hawkins. The girl loves you, and would marry you to-morrow, if we had a priest to join your hands. She does not know that you are a murderer,' he hissed in my ear. `If any one told her, she would not believe it. I know what women are when they are in love, as that girl is with you; but the old father would not be so deaf; and, at all events, he would as soon see his daughter in the grave as married to one like you. Ha, ha, ha!' "`I do not know what you are aiming at,' I exclaimed, turning round on my tormentor. `Do you wish to provoke me?' "`Pardon me, Mr Officer,' he answered, laughing; `I forgot your rank. No, I do not wish to provoke you; but I wish to tell you the truth, that you are following a wild-goose chase, which will only lead you among shoals at last. Take my advice: change your course, and give up this sentimental work. The girl shall be yours, if you follow my advice; but if not, you will lose her to a certainty, and do yourself no good into the bargain.' "I told you, sir, how complete was the power that man exercised over me from my having participated with him in the murder of Arnold, nor was he lenient in exercising it. Though my spirit was rising, he soon made me quail before him. He so worked upon me, that he at length brought me over to agree to a plan he had formed. This was to put under hatches the master and such of the crew as would not join us; then to alter the ship's course towards the coast of America, where he proposed to make off with as much of the gold as the boats would carry--with Mdlle. Julie as my share--after cutting away the masts, so that we could not be pursued, should the master and his companions, by any chance, break loose from the hold. He sneered when I told him, that as there was to be no bloodshed, I did not object to join him in his plan. I was very wicked, I know it; but bad as I was, he was worse. I was tempted by the hopes of winning Julie, for he had convinced me that I could never gain her by fair means. He was deceiving me all the time.