“You are returning to Barbados?” he said slowly.  “Will Lord Julian be going with you?”

“Why do you ask me that?” she confronted him quite fearlessly.

“Sure, now, didn’t he give you my message, or did he bungle it?”

“No.  He didn’t bungle it.  He gave it me in your own words.  It touched me very deeply.  It made me see clearly my error and my injustice.  I owe it to you that I should say this by way of amend.  I judged too harshly where it was a presumption to judge at all.”

He was still holding her hand.  “And Lord Julian, then?” he asked, his eyes watching her, bright as sapphires in that copper-coloured face.

“Lord Julian will no doubt be going home to England.  There is nothing more for him to do out here.”

“But didn’t he ask you to go with him?”

“He did.  I forgive you the impertinence.”

A wild hope leapt to life within him.

“And you?  Glory be, ye’ll not be telling me ye refused to become my lady, when....”

“Oh!  You are insufferable!” She tore her hand free and backed away from him.  “I should not have come.  Good-bye!” She was speeding to the door.

He sprang after her, and caught her.  Her face flamed, and her eyes stabbed him like daggers.  “These are pirate’s ways, I think!  Release me!”

“Arabella!” he cried on a note of pleading.  “Are ye meaning it?  Must I release ye?  Must I let ye go and never set eyes on ye again?  Or will ye stay and make this exile endurable until we can go home together?  Och, ye’re crying now!  What have I said to make ye cry, my dear?”

“I...  I thought you’d never say it,” she mocked him through her tears.

“Well, now, ye see there was Lord Julian, a fine figure of a....”

“There was never, never anybody but you, Peter.”

They had, of course, a deal to say thereafter, so much, indeed, that they sat down to say it, whilst time sped on, and Governor Blood forgot the duties of his office.  He had reached home at last.  His odyssey was ended.

And meanwhile Colonel Bishop’s fleet had come to anchor, and the Colonel had landed on the mole, a disgruntled man to be disgruntled further yet.  He was accompanied ashore by Lord Julian Wade.

A corporal’s guard was drawn up to receive him, and in advance of this stood Major Mallard and two others who were unknown to the Deputy-Governor:  one slight and elegant, the other big and brawny.

Major Mallard advanced.  “Colonel Bishop, I have orders to arrest you.  Your sword, sir!”

“By order of the Governor of Jamaica,” said the elegant little man behind Major Mallard.  Bishop swung to him.

“The Governor?  Ye’re mad!” He looked from one to the other.  “I am the Governor.”

“You were,” said the little man dryly.  “But we’ve changed that in your absence.  You’re broke for abandoning your post without due cause, and thereby imperiling the settlement over which you had charge.  It’s a serious matter, Colonel Bishop, as you may find.  Considering that you held your office from the Government of King James, it is even possible that a charge of treason might lie against you.  It rests with your successor entirely whether ye’re hanged or not.”