Or Else My Lady Keeps the Key Read Online Free PDF Page A

said John. “It’s only that I was getting out of the business, as it were, and now I’m on the account again whether I will or no. Any court’s going to say this was an English ship, and hang me up alongside that frog captain.”
    “Only if we are caught,” said Mrs. Waverly. “And in any case I shall plead for mercy, and swear that you only did it to protect me.”
    “How likely is that to work?”
    “It has never failed before,” said Mrs. Waverly, smiling graciously at Captain Reynald.
* * *
    The ship was rechristened the
Harmony
, and that night they found themselves invited to another dinner with the captain; only this time it was at a long trestle table set up belowdecks, in the crew’s quarters.
    “Welcome, friends,” said Captain Reynald, who had put on a clean shirt for the occasion. “Madame.” He bowed deeply and once more kissed Mrs. Waverly’s hand. “I trust you will find the viands to your liking. They have been prepared with these own hands of mine.”
    “Really,” said Mrs. Waverly, as he led her to a place at the head of the table.
    “Indeed, madame. We are a happy community of brothers here; I am the leader only in matters of war and philosophy.”
    “Philosophy?” said John, taking his seat to Mrs. Waverly’s left, since Captain Reynald had taken the seat to her right. Sejanus took a seat next to him and sat looking around, in great enjoyment; Mr. Tudeley, still pale and miserable, found himself seated far down the table.
    “Indeed, my friend. We are a Utopian fraternity of corsairs, rebels against the entrenched corruption of kings and merchants. We have refused the chains of Civilization and live in perfect equality here, upon the wide sea, the mother of liberty. Is it not so?”
    “Yes, Captain,” chorused the crew, in tones that suggested they’d heard his speech a multitude of times.
    “For example: all delicacies shall be shared in common among us.” Captain Reynald drew the serving platter close, and carved one of a pair of Captain Sharp’s capons. “My brother corsairs share in whatever bounty we find. Will you have some of this chicken, madame?”
    “I thank you, yes,” said Mrs. Waverly. He loaded her plate with generous slices, to the point where the men at table looked narrowly at what was left.
    “Perhaps you are surprised by such men; perhaps you expected us to be little better than savages,” continued Captain Reynald.
    “I confess I scarcely knew what to expect,” said Mrs. Waverly.
    “Though of course it is a fact that among
civilized
men, you will generally find filth, moral turpitude, decadence and lies, whereas if you make the acquaintance of primitive Man in his natural element you will find him a noble and honest creature,” said Captain Reynald, with a gracious nod in the direction of Sejanus.
    “I wouldn’t know, sir,” said Sejanus dryly. “I was born in Massachusetts.”
    “Pardon me,” said John, a little irritated by Captain Reynald’s attentions to Mrs. Waverly. “This sounds all right and proper, and I’m grateful to know we’ve fallen in with such a high-minded lot; but, since we’re on the account, let’s talk business. Have we got a commission?”
    “Why, of course,” said Captain Reynald. “Signed by the governor of Tortuga.”
    “Allows us to go after anybody but the French,” said Anslow, grinning. “And even them, if the captain don’t feel they’re yew-topian enough.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I regard them through the spyglass,” said Captain Reynald. “If the captain is dressed in great finery and his men are ragged, clearly he is oppressing them and it is our duty to liberate the ship.”
    “We got the
Triomphe de Bourbon
that way,” volunteered one of the crew. “There was a ship, by God!”
    “Pity about that reef off Curacao,” said another man, looking mournful.
    “It is no matter,” said Captain Reynald. “We have this fine ship now, and the
Fraternity
; we shall cruise together and