The ship had been slipping along now for many a day, slowly but steadily before a favorable breeze.  She had passed the ring of the West India islands, and was now crawling, safe from all pursuit, through the vast weed-beds of the Sargasso Sea.  There, for the first time, it was thought safe to relax the discipline which had been hitherto kept up, and to “rummage” (as was the word in those days) their noble prize.  What they found, of gold and silver, jewels, and merchandise, will interest no readers.  Suffice it to say, that there was enough there, with the other treasure, to make Amyas rich for life, after all claims of Cary’s and the crew, not forgetting Mr. Salterne’s third, as owner of the ship, had been paid off.  But in the captain’s cabin were found two chests, one full of gorgeous Mexican feather dresses, and the other of Spanish and East Indian finery, which, having come by way of Havana and Cartagena, was going on, it seemed, to some senora or other at the Caracas.  Which two chests were, at Cary’s proposal, voted amid the acclamations of the crew to Ayacanora, as her due and fit share of the pillage, in consideration of her Amazonian prowess and valuable services.

So the poor child took greedy possession of the trumpery, had them carried into Lucy’s cabin, and there knelt gloating over them many an hour.  The Mexican work she chose to despise as savage; but the Spanish dresses were a treasure; and for two or three days she appeared on the quarter-deck, sunning herself like a peacock before the eyes of Amyas in Seville mantillas, Madrid hats, Indian brocade farthingales, and I know not how many other gewgaws, and dare not say how put on.

The crew tittered:  Amyas felt much more inclined to cry.  There is nothing so pathetic as a child’s vanity, saving a grown person aping a child’s vanity; and saving, too, a child’s agony of disappointment when it finds that it has been laughed at instead of being admired.  Amyas would have spoken, but he was afraid:  however, the evil brought its own cure.  The pageant went on, as its actor thought, most successfully for three days or so; but at last the dupe, unable to contain herself longer, appealed to Amyas,—­“Ayacanora quite English girl now; is she not?”—­heard a titter behind her, looked round, saw a dozen honest faces in broad grin, comprehended all in a moment, darted down the companion-ladder, and vanished.

Amyas, fully expecting her to jump overboard, followed as fast as he could.  But she had locked herself in with Lucy, and he could hear her violent sobs, and Lucy’s faint voice entreating to know what was the matter.

In vain he knocked.  She refused to come out all day, and at even they were forced to break the door open, to prevent Lucy being starved.

There sat Ayacanora, her finery half torn off, and scattered about the floor in spite, crying still as if her heart would break; while poor Lucy cried too, half from fright and hunger, and half for company.