"Seeing the lady is a main pawn in this business, by your leave she shall stay," said I, with a laugh.
"Why, yes," he says, controlling his lips into that little smile, "she is certainly of chief importance. But I would rather call her Queen, Captain."
"Call her what you will," said I, bluffly. "'Tis all you shall do with her, my master."
He turned slowly from considering her, and gazed on me quietly.
"Ha!" says he, without showing any perturbation, for he was a man of spirit, and he must have suspected that something was wrong. "Here we have a riddle for tobymen. What is the explanation, sirrah?"
"Very simple," said I, grinning at him. "I ha' made the lady's acquaintance, and ha' taken a fancy to her myself."
He raised his eyebrows, while he looked from one to the other of us, as though he would disentangle my real intention.
"I fear me you have been drinking, Ryder," said he, pleasantly.
"True," said I, "but none so deep as you think."