“Oh, as for that,” replied Kidd, with a deep-drawn sigh of relief, for he too had noticed the gradual evaporation of his arm and the incipient etherization of his cranium—­“as for that, it was simple enough.  There was to have been a day set apart for ladies’ day at the club, and when you were all on board we were quietly to weigh anchor and start.  The fact that you had anticipated the day, of your own volition, was telephoned by my scouts to me at my headquarters, and that news was by me transmitted by messenger to Sir Walter at Charon’s Glen Island, where the long-talked-of fight between Samson and Goliath was taking place.  Raleigh immediately replied, ’Good!  Start at once.  Paris first.  Unlimited credit.  Love to Elizabeth.’ Wherefore, ladies,” he added, rising from his chair and walking to the door—­“wherefore you are here and in my care.  Make yourselves comfortable, and with the aid of the fashion papers which you have already received prepare yourselves for the joys that await you.  With the aid of Madame Recamier and Baedeker’s Paris, which you will find in the library, it will be your own fault if when you arrive there you resemble a great many less fortunate women who don’t know what they want.”

With these words Kidd disappeared through the door, and fainted in the arms of Sir Henry Morgan.  The strain upon him had been too great.

“A charming fellow,” said Portia, as the pirate disappeared.

“Most attractive,” said Elizabeth.

“Handsome, too, don’t you think?” asked Helen of Troy.

“And truthful beyond peradventure,” observed Xanthippe, as she reflected upon the words the captain had attributed to Socrates.  “I didn’t believe him at first, but when he told me what my sweet-tempered philosopher had said, I was convinced.”

“He’s a sweet child,” interposed Mrs. Noah, fondly.  “One of my favorite grandchildren.”

“Which makes it embarrassing for me to say,” cried Cassandra, starting up angrily, “that he is a base caitiff!”

Had a bomb been dropped in the middle of the room, it could not have created a greater sensation than the words of Cassandra.

“What?” cried several voices at once.  “A caitiff?”

“A caitiff with a capital K,” retorted Cassandra.  “I know that, because while he was telling his story I was listening to it with one ear and looking forward into the middle of next week with the other—­I mean the other eye—­and I saw—­”

“Yes, you saw?” cried Cleopatra.

“I saw that he was deceiving us.  Mark my words, ladies, he is a base caitiff,” replied Cassandra—­“a base caitiff.”

“What did you see?” cried Elizabeth, excitedly.

“This,” said Cassandra, and she began a narration of future events which I must defer to the next chapter.  Meanwhile his associates were endeavoring to restore the evaporated portions of the prostrated Kidd’s spirit anatomy by the use of a steam-atomizer, but with indifferent success.  Kidd’s training had not fitted him for an intellectual combat with superior women, and he suffered accordingly.