The passenger in the stern sat down, but he continued to swear.
Presently Dickory was on the dry sand, and running up to that cottage door. A little back from the front of the house and in the shade there was a bench, and on this bench there sat a girl, reading. She lifted her head in surprise as Dickory approached, for his bare feet had made no noise, then she stood up quickly, blushing.
"You!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," cried Dickory; "and you look just the same as when you first put your head above the bushes and talked to me."
"Except that I am more suitably clothed," she said.
And she was entirely right, for her present dress was feminine, and extremely becoming.
Dickory did not wish to say anything more on this subject, and so he remarked: "I have just arrived at the town, and I came directly here."
Lucilla blushed again.
"This is my old home," added Dickory.
"But you knew we were here?" she asked, with a hesitating look of inquiry.
"Oh, yes," said he, "I knew that the house had been let to your father."
Now she changed colour twice--first red, then white. "Are you," she said, "I mean ... the other, is she--"
"I left her in Jamaica," said Dickory, "but I am going to marry her."
For a moment the rim of her hat got between the sun and her face, and one could not decide very well whether her countenance was red or white.
"I am very glad to find you here," said Dickory, "and may I see your father and mother?"
"Yes," said she, "but they are both in the field with my young sister.
But who is this man walking up the shore? And is that the boat you came in?"
"It is," said Dickory. "We stuck fast, but I was in such a hurry that I waded ashore. I don't know the man; he had hired the boat, and kindly took me in, I was in such haste to get here."
For a moment Lucilla bent her eyes on the ground. "In such haste to get here!" she said to herself; then she raised her head and exclaimed: "Oh, I know that man; he is the pirate captain who captured the Belinda, which afterward brought us here." And with both hands outstretched, she ran to meet him.