"Ah, I zee, my deear," said Captain Jack, pathetically; "people 'ave bin 'busin' me. I allays 'ave bin 'bused, my deear, but I do comfort myself, I do, for what do the Scripters say?—'Blessed are they that are abused.' I ain't a-got the words zackly, but the mainin', my deear, the mainin' es right, and that's the chief thing, ed'n et, then?"
In spite of myself the man fascinated me. There was a mixture of mockery and sincerity in his voice, as though he half believed in his pious sayings; moreover, he was very cool and collected. His white eyes wandered all over the cave, and exchanged meaning glances with the two men with whom I had been struggling, but I knew that he was watching me all the time. He must have known that he was in danger of being taken by the Preventive men, but he spoke with the calm assurance of an innocent man.
"Well," I said, "what do you intend doing with me? You are three to one, and I am unarmed."
"There you be spaikin' vexed now. Wha's the use of that?"
"No wonder, when your men were trying to kill me, and would, perhaps, if you hadn't come just then."
"No; they wouldn't, my deear. I was watching; I zeed the man they'd got to dail weth—fresh as paint, my deear, and shinin' like a makerl's back. Plenty of rail good fight; and I like that, though I be a man of paice, Jasper Pennington, my deear."
I waited for him to go on, and although I was much excited, and scarcely expected to live until morning, I managed to meet his white eyes without shrinking.
"Spoasing you go out, Bill and Sam, my sonnies," said Cap'n Jack. "Don't go fur away, my deears; we cudden bear that, could us, Jasper? Do 'ee smok' then, Jasper? I zee you do. Lots of baccy 'ere, an' pipes too. Well, this es oncommon lucky. Well, lev us load up, I zay."
Thinking it well to agree with him, I filled a pipe with tobacco and lit it while Cap'n Jack, with evident satisfaction, smoked peacefully. He sat opposite me, and I waited for him to speak.