"But you have," replied Kingswell. "You were not very beautiful as a little girl. To me you looked much the same as my own sisters."
For a second, or less, the maiden's eyes met his with merriment and questioning in their depths. Then they were lowered. Sir Ralph moved uneasily.
"Come, come," he said, "we must not stand here all day, like geese on a village green. There are seats by the fire." He led the way. "Captain, if you are not busy I hope you'll stay and hear some of Master Kingswell's adventures," he added, turning to D'Antons.
"With pleasure," answered the captain.
"One moment, sir," said Kingswell to Sir Ralph Westleigh. "I have a young friend—a sort of ward—whom I left outside. I'll tell him to run over to the men and amuse himself with them."
As he opened the door and spoke a few kind words to Ouenwa, there was a sneer on D'Antons' lips that did not escape Mistress Beatrix Westleigh. It irritated her beyond measure, and she had all she could do to restrain herself from slapping him—for hot blood and a fighting spirit dwelt in that fair body. She wondered how she had once considered him attractive. She blushed crimson at the thought.
Kingswell returned and seated himself on a stool between the governor of the little colony and the maiden. First of all, he told them who Ouenwa was, and of the time the lad saved him from injury by flooring old Trowley with his canoe paddle. Then he briefly sketched the voyage of the Pelican, and told something of his interests in the fishing fleet and in the new land.
"And you found no indications of gold?" queried D'Antons.
"None," replied the voyager, "but some splendid copper ore in great quantities, and one mine of 'fool's gold.'"
The baronet nodded, with one of his wan smiles. "There are other kinds of fool's gold than these iron pyrites, I believe," he said, "and one finds it nearer home than in this God-forsaken—ah—in this wild country."