It was before such a man that Burrell of Burrell now stood, and by whom
he was addressed.
"My piping-bird, good sir, told me you wanted me; and though somewhat
inconvenient at this present time, here I am. Won't you sit? This is no
lady's lounging-room; yet we can find seats, and costly ones too," he
added, pushing a chest of spices towards his visitor.
"Then, you were not at sea, Captain?" observed Burrell, seating himself,
and unclasping his cloak.
"I did not say so," replied the other, bringing his bushy brows more
closely over his eyes, and glancing suspiciously upon the questioner.
"Oh, no; I only imagined it."
"Well, sir, I was not at sea, and I care not who knows it."
"But, my worthy friend, we have been acquainted too long for you to fear
my 'peaching aught concerning you or your doings."
"And did I talk of fear?" inquired the Buccaneer, with a droll and yet
bitter expression. "Well, if I did, I only follow, as Robin would say,
the example of my betters, by talking about what I don't understand."
"Vastly good, and true!--true as the----"
"Needle to the pole; the finest simile in nature, Sir Willmott Burrell:
you were fishing for a holy one, I saw, which is what these walls don't
often hear, for we've no laggers nor warpes among us."
"You've enlarged this room, and improved it much, Captain, since I last
saw it."
"Humph! ay, that was, I remember, when his Highness----"
"Hush!" interrupted Burrell, changing colour, and looking round the
room cautiously; "you must be very careful, Dalton, how you say any
thing about----"
"Ha! ha! ha! So you look for a troop of old Noll's Ironsides to bounce
from under these packages in this good Isle of Shepey; or, mayhap,
expect to see him start forth from behind his own Acts, which you
perceive garnish my walls--the walls of my secret palace, so splendidly;
but I may talk about his Highness, ay, and about the prisoners you
escorted here, despite the loyal men of Kent, for me to ship to the
Colonies--and--. But no matter, no matter; Noll knew I did it, for he
knows every thing. Well, sir, you seem so alarmed, that I'm dumb as a
sand-bank; only this, his Highness is far enough off to-night, and you
need fear no other Olivers, for England will never see but one."
"True, true--good Dalton!--but tell me, are you often on the French
coast now?"