But in all my sorrow I was grateful to Heaven that Marjorie had not been left upon that other island. Better for her to die here by the hand of the man who loved her than to have been on that island at the mercy of such men. Thank God, thank God, thank God! I said to myself again and again. I could say nothing more, I could think nothing more, only thank God, thank God! CHAPTER XXVIII WE DEFY JENSEN That unhappy Barbara! Her sin had found her out indeed. She was a wicked woman, for she had been part and parcel in the treason, she had been hand and glove with the traitors. But she did not mean such wickedness to the women-folk, and she did what she had done for her husband's sake, thinking that he would be a pirate king and she his consort. This was what she meant when she had called herself a queen. With such falsehoods had Jensen stuffed the ears of the man and his wife, snaring them to their fate. As I had loved her once, so I pitied her now. She had shared in a great crime, but it would be hard to shape a greater penalty for her sin. By the time that the parson had finished his story we who were listening to him felt dismal, and we looked at each other grimly. 'What is the first thing to be done?' Lancelot said softly, more to himself than as really asking any advice upon the matter from us. 'Fire a volley upon those devils when they draw near, and so rid the earth of them,' I suggested. Lancelot shook his head. 'They are under the protection of a flag of truce----' he began, when I interrupted him hotly. 'What right,' I raged at him, 'what right have such devils to the consideration of honourable warfare and of honourable men?' Lancelot sighed. 'None whatever; but that does not change us from being honourable men and from carrying on our contest according to the rules of honourable warfare. They are devils, ruffians, what you will, but we--we are gentlemen, and we have passed our word. We cannot go back from that.' I know very well that I blushed a fiery red, from rage against our enemy and shame at Lancelot's reproof. But I said nothing, and Mr. Ebrow spoke. 'Mr. Amber,' he said, clasping Lancelot's hand as he spoke, 'you are in the right, in the very right, as a Christian soldier and a Christian gentleman. Their hour will come without our anticipating it.' And then he wrung my hand warmly, in token that he understood my feelings too, and did not overmuch blame me. 'One thing at least is certain,' said Lancelot. 'You must not return to the mercies of those villains.' Mr. Ebrow drew himself stiffly up. He was wet and weary, and the ugly cut on his forehead did not add to the charm of his rugged face, but just at that moment he seemed handsome. 'Mr. Amber,' he said, 'I passed my word to those men that I would return after I had given you their message, and I will keep my word.' 'But,' said Lancelot, 'they will kill you!'