With a great oath Bradhurst exclaimed:  “It is plain enough that you have brought a girl on board under false colors, and you may as well make ready to put her ashore.  You see what she has already done—­a hand lost to one man and wounds for twenty others—­and she was on deck less than five minutes.  Heart of God!  At that rate she would have the ship at the bottom of Davy Jones’s locker before we could sail half down the channel.”

“It was not my fault,” sobbed Mary, her eyes flashing fire; “I did nothing; all I wanted was to be left alone; but those brutes of men—­you shall pay for this; remember what I say.  Did you expect Captain Brandon to stand back and not defend me, when that wretch was tearing my garments off?”

“Captain Brandon, did you say?” asked Bradhurst, with his hat off instantly.

“Yes,” answered that individual.  “I shipped under an assumed name, for various reasons, and desire not to be known.  You will do well to keep my secret.”

“Do I understand that you are Master Charles Brandon, the king’s friend?” asked Bradhurst.

“I am,” was the answer.

“Then, sir, I must ask your pardon for the way you have been treated.  We, of course, could not know it, but a man must expect trouble when he attaches himself to a woman.”  It is a wonder the flashes from Mary’s eyes did not strike the old sea-dog dead.  He, however, did not see them, and went on:  “We are more than anxious that so valiant a knight as Sir Charles Brandon should go with us, and hope your reception will not drive you back, but as to the lady—­you see already the result of her presence, and much as we want you, we cannot take her.  Aside from the general trouble which a woman takes with her everywhere”—­Mary would not even look at the creature—­“on shipboard there is another and greater objection.  It is said, you know, among sailors, that a woman on board draws bad luck to certain sorts of ships, and every sailor would desert, before we could weigh anchor, if it were known this lady was to go with us.  Should they find it out in mid-ocean, a mutiny would be sure to follow, and God only knows what would happen.  For her sake, if for no other reason, take her ashore at once.”

Brandon saw only too plainly the truth that he had really seen all the time, but to which he had shut his eyes, and throwing Mary’s cloak over her shoulders, prepared to go ashore.  As they went over the side and pulled off, a great shout went up from the ship far more derisive than cheering, and the men at the oars looked at each other askance and smiled.  What a predicament for a princess!  Brandon cursed himself for having been such a knave and fool as to allow this to happen.  He had known the danger all the time, and his act could not be chargeable to ignorance or a failure to see the probable consequences.  Temptation, and selfish desire, had given him temerity in place of judgment.  He had attempted what none but an insane man would