"Not against her will, as you and Corny will have it," protested Mulgate. "Do you renounce that plan or that idea, whatever it may be?" "I do not renounce it. If the lady is willing to go with me, as I believe she will be, I know of no reason why she should not go as a passenger," argued Mulgate. "I think we had better abandon the enterprise in the beginning, for I think we can be of more service to our country at liberty than within the walls of Fort Lafayette," added the captain, with not a little disgust mingled with his indignation. Whatever his object in visiting this locality, he was clearly a high-toned gentleman, and the idea of prosecuting a love adventure in connection with what he regarded as a highly patriotic duty was repulsive to his nature. He found by trial that the Florence was not grounded very hard on the beach, for the tide was rising, and he drew the boat farther up from the water, as he turned to walk away from the spot. "Am I to understand that you retire from this enterprise, Captain Carboneer?" asked Mulgate. "Am I to understand that you renounce your scheme to carry off a woman as a part of the enterprise?" demanded the captain. "I do not renounce it, though I have no intention to carry off a woman, as you put it. The most I have asked is that she be permitted to go as a passenger of her own free will," replied Mulgate. "She never will go with him of her own free will," interposed Corny. "I will not have a woman on board of the vessel, whether she goes willingly or otherwise. Do you renounce that scheme entirely?" "I think you are driving me into a small corner, Captain Carboneer." "After what you have said before, I think I am fully justified in what I require. With your private affairs, I have nothing to do. If you choose to marry this young lady, I have nothing to say about that; but no woman can be a passenger in a war vessel under my command. After I have landed you at Bermuda or Nassau, I shall not attempt to run the blockade, which is now enforced, in order to land you and the lady. Besides, we may be in action at any time after we get under way." "Then if I do not yield the point, you intend to leave me to carry out this enterprise alone?" demanded Mulgate. "In that case, I wish to go with you, Captain Carboneer," added Corny, with emphasis. "But I want it understood that I shall not leave Bonnydale without telling my uncle to look out for his daughter." "Then you mean to be a traitor, Corny?" said Mulgate angrily. "Call it what you like." "All this is absurd, Mulgate," interposed Captain Carboneer. "Without my resources, you can do nothing at all, and it would be foolish for you to attempt the capture of the vessel. You are not a sailor or a navigator, and you could do nothing with the vessel if you succeeded in getting her to sea." "I have no doubt I could find a hundred men in New York, including half a score of navigators, to assist me in this enterprise," replied Mulgate.