‘That shall be soon,’ said the captain.  ’We have but stayed for your coming; and see! the wind has shifted since we sighted you, and blows fair for our departing.’

He moved away as he spoke and began giving his orders; while Harry marshalled us down to our cabins, saying gaily, ’Ay, the merry wind blows from the land now; ’twas against us as we rowed, and I had my fears; but all’s well that ends well—­the Lord be praised therefor!’

‘Tell us whither this kind wind is to blow us?’ I asked, and he saying, ‘So it is not enough for you to be with me where I go?’ I answered boldly, ‘By no means;’ on which, laughing, he said, ’I will talk with you soon, sweetheart, on that point and many others; but now let us look to Andrew.’  So I and my curiosity had to wait awhile; for when Andrew and his faithful nurses were settled below, Harry went on deck; and I sat by Althea, something sick at heart for all my joy, while, with many strange noises of rattling and creaking and trampling overhead, our ship shook out her great wings and spread them for flight.  But at last the water slipping past our cabin windows showed we were standing out to sea; and then came Harry and sat down beside us.  Andrew had fallen asleep, and Giles and his wife sat watching him a little way off; so there was nothing to break in on Harry’s story.

‘Now first of all, my Lucy,’ said he, ’you must know whither we are bound; ’tis to Calais, for there is Captain Maret due, and over-due, having come to Woolwich only for my sake, and yours, as it hath proved.  Then at Calais I have intelligence that we shall find a ship bound for Hull, by which we may go thither, and so home to our father in the Dales.’

‘Do you know,’ I said, ‘I suspected your design to be for Holland?’

‘Well,’ said he, ’I had such a thought for Andrew.  There be friends in that country, with whom he might be sheltered till England should be safe for him once more.  But it dislikes me to have dealings with any country at war with mine own—­mad and wicked though the war be on our part.’

‘All England is gone mad and wicked, I think,’ said Althea; ’for my share I care not much if I never see it more.’

‘You will change that thought, I hope,’ said he.  ’But now, my Lucy, I have a request and a petition to you.  Captain Maret will bring us at Calais to a clergyman of the English Church whom he knows there; will you consent for the good man to join our hands? ’tis long since our hearts were knit, I trow.’

‘What are you asking of her?’ said Althea; ’should not such a marriage be celebrated on English ground?’

‘So it shall,’ said he; ’for we will be wedded on board the ship that shall take us to Hull; and her planks, being those of an English vessel, are reckoned English ground.  Now, what says my dear heart?’ and as I blushed and stammered, ‘I warrant you,’ said he, ’Lucy is struck dumb at my presumption in talking of wedlock, my good ship being gone to wreck, and I myself newly loosed from slavery.’