I wandered into the governor’s beautiful garden, and, pacing up and down, pondered what the lively Lucetta had said.  Was it true that Lucy did not care a button for the men who courted her so assiduously?  Was Lucetta seeking to make a fool of me?  Did Lucy’s apparent indifference mask another feeling?  My thoughts made a flying circle of perplexity and I could not anywise come at a resolution.

And then I remembered again how far above me Lucy was in worldly position, and how I had nothing, barring a few hundred pounds of prize money and my paltry eighty pounds (or less) a year.  What had I to offer her?  And besides this, I felt a scruple (even supposing my chances were not hopeless), against seeking to engage her while she was so far from the relatives whose advice she would naturally seek.  ’Twould savor much of fortune hunting, I thought, if I sought her hand so close upon her coming of age.

The upshot of my meditations was that I must cleave to my former resolve, and wait at least until I should have been promoted to captain’s rank, and then seek her at her uncle’s house and put my fate to the hazard.

Whether my resolution would have survived a dance with her I know not.  When I went back to the hall to claim her I found I was too late:  she was dancing with a young popinjay of Collingwood’s regiment.  I watched them gloomily, in high dudgeons, though ’twas my own fault, and I did not even get an opportunity of bidding her farewell.

Next day (’twas the eleventh of July) we sailed out of Port Royal, amid salvos of artillery, the merchant ships in the harbour being all dressed with flags.  The Breda, in which I was now serving, led the van, and the squadron consisted, besides another third-rate, of six fourth-rates, a fireship, a bomb vessel, a tender and a sloop.  Mr. Benbow designed to join Rear Admiral Whetstone, but we were soon spoken by the Colchester, from which we learned that Monsieur du Casse was expected at Leogane, and making for that place, we arrived on the twenty-seventh.

We saw several ships at anchor near the town, and one of them being under sail, we pursued her, and found her to be a man-of-war of fifty guns.  She did not stay to try conclusions with us, but ran ashore, and then her captain, to prevent her from falling into our hands, blew her up.  Next morning we had the good fortune to capture with ease three other French ships and to sink a fourth; and perceiving that a vessel of eighteen guns was being hauled inshore under the guns of the fort, the admiral sent the boat in, which burned her to the ground, and brought off some other ships with wine and stores aboard.

We came next day before Petit Guavas, and saw three or four small ships in the harbor called the Cul, which was so strong by its natural position, and so well defended, that Mr. Benbow thought it not advisable to run any risk there for vessels of little value.  We continued for three days in the bay, and sailed from thence for Cape Donna Maria, on the west side of Hispaniola, where we learned that Monsieur du Casse was gone to Cartagena.  ’Twas clear that the Frenchman was in no mind to encounter us, and there was a good deal of grumbling among our men at the wild goose chase on which we appeared to be engaged.