He was followed by Mr Eagle, who thought it about time to relieve the Captain.
Mr Pledge had eaten his last morsel of cheese and was leaving the table, when his attention was arrested by a knocking on Lucy's door, accompanied by the cries of a female; but what she said he could not hear. So Mr Pledge, taking some steps, stood close to the door.
The voice of Lucy within cried out: "Is anybody there?"
"I'm here, ma'am," answered Pledge.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Thomas Pledge, acting second mate of this 'ere ship, ma'am."
"Open this door!"
"I can't, ma'am, it's locked," and in proof of his assurance, Pledge turned the handle and shook the door.
"I demand to be set at liberty!" cried Lucy, in the strained, wild voice that had frightened the hunchback steward. "The villain who commands this ship lured me into her by pretending that Captain Acton, who is my father and the owner of the vessel, lay seriously injured through an accident, and wished to see me. I demand to be returned to my home! I have been stolen away by a base artifice. The crew of this ship are the servants of my father, and they would know his wish must be to recover me, and your duty, and Mr Eagle's, and the men's, is to turn the ship for Old Harbour, and surrender me up to my father. If this is not done I shall go mad. I am mad now. The wretch who by a lie has seduced me into this vessel, has driven me crazy."
And with that she fell to singing, from which she broke off after a few moments to burst into a shrieking, lunatic laugh.