Only for a moment. Recovering herself quickly, so that they might almost have fancied that the evil expression they had seen on her features was the effect of fancy only, she closed the trap-door, and threw herself on the nearest settle, with a loud burst of laughter. “Well done, well done, both of you!” cried she, as she clapped her hands in boisterous applause. “Sure, ’twas as fine a comedy as ever was played up in London before the quality, to see Miss Joan’s face when she heard your voice, Lieutenant.” While she laughed, Joan in her turn was slowly recovering her self-possession. “’Tis well, Ann, that it went not so far as to become tragedy rather than comedy,” she said, as she glanced hurriedly towards the door. Then pointing towards it with a hand that was scarcely steady, she said to Tregenna, “I beg, sir, you will mount my horse, that is waiting outside, and make the best of your way back to your vessel. Nay, fear not to leave me here. They’ll not harm me, as Ann will tell you.” “Miss Joan,” replied Tregenna, in a shaking voice, as he looked into her noble face with eyes in which his admiration and gratitude glowed like fire, “I’d not leave you in this nest of rascaldom if I were to be torn in pieces for disobeying you.” “You do not understand. I am safe here: you are not,” replied she, in a low voice, which scarcely reached the listening ears of Ann. “It may be so, but I’ll not risk it. I’ll not leave this house without you.” “Leave it with me, then,” said Joan, making up her mind with promptitude. “You shall mount my horse, and I’ll ride behind.” And turning quickly to Ann, “Good night,” said she somewhat coldly. But she got no answer. Ann was watching them both with no very friendly eyes. Sitting on the edge of the great table, and looking again to the life the dare-devil buccaneer, as she tossed her short hair, threw back her head, and swung one foot with great energy, she waved one hand impatiently, as if to speed the departure of the lieutenant and Joan, but uttered no word of farewell. Then Tregenna tried. Going back a step he held out his hand. “Come, Mistress Ann,” said he, “I’ll not credit that you would have done me a hurt, here in your own house, however fierce a foe you might be in a hand-to-hand conflict outside. Let us part friends here, even if we meet as antagonists hereafter.” For answer Ann put down her hands, one on each side of her, grasping the edge of the table; and tilted herself backwards, laughing maliciously in his face. “My friendship is of no account to you, sir,” said she, very slowly, in a low, deep, and full voice, “at present. You shall have it, maybe later.” And she turned her head disdainfully in the direction of Joan, who was by this time in the doorway, and signified to him by a haughty bend of the head that he had better follow the young lady. Tregenna bowed and accepted the suggestion.