The old skipper saw the effect of his words, and repeated them:
“For little Rosemary’s sake, dear lad!”
“Don’t! don’t!” wailed Roland. “Don’t! don’t! I loved the child! Heaven knows how I loved her! She was always the dearest creature on earth to me! I loved her so much that I hope, in these three years of absence, in which she has grown from childhood to womanhood, I hope she has forgotten me!”
These last words were uttered in a wail of anguish.
“But she has not forgotten you, Roland! You are the larger part of her life! From the time I met her on the Asia——Did I tell you that I came over on the same ship with Force and his party?”
“No. Capt. Silver told me that he had set you ashore on the coast of England, not far from Penzance, and so I supposed that you had come home; but I did not know on what ship or in what company! Go on! you were talking about Rosemary.”
“We met by chance on board the Asia. Of course, there was great surprise on both sides. And, of course, I told them all about the capture of the Kitty by the pirates. And the first question my niece asked was about you. And from this she has been in a state of continual anxiety about you—anxiety that has been much increased since she learned of the capture of the Argente by the Eagle.”
“You told her I was with the pirates?”
“As a captive, yes! as a well-treated captive! I was not likely to repeat to her a tale that I did not myself believe, about your having joined the crew,” said the captain, indignantly.
Roland again covered his face with his hands, and bowed his head.