She'll look after them, I'm sure. I'll tell you another bit of news: Jim
Jarvis is bound to go with us, Jack says, and he has asked if we'll let
him."
"How long have you had that up your sleeve, young woman? I don't like it
a little bit! That is why you talked so like an oracle a little while
ago! What does Jane say?"
"She doesn't say much, but I think she wouldn't object."
"Of course she can't object. You sick a big brute of a man on to a
little girl, and she don't dare object; but I'll feed him to the fishes
if he worries her."
"To be sure you will, Mr. Ogre. Anybody would be sure of that to hear
you talk."
"Don't chaff me, Polly. This is a serious business. If you sell my girl,
I'm going to buy a new one. I'll ask Jessie Gordon to go with us and, if
Jack is half the man I take him to be, he'll replenish our stock of
girls before we get back."
"Who is match-making now?"
"I don't care what you call it. I shall take out letters of marque and
reprisal. I won't raise girls to be carried off by the first privateer
that makes sail for them, without making some one else suffer.
Pages:
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417