The Buccaneer - A Tale

"I'faith, I do!--though you will say it's ill coming from me to fault

any man's conduct; but I hate your little vices as much as your little

virtues: sickly, puny goods and evils, that are too weak for sun to

ripen, too low for blast to break, but which endure, the same withered,

sapless things, to the death-day--Augh! a bold villain, or a real

downright good man, for my money. How the devil can Charles Stuart do

any thing great, or think of any thing great, with his mistresses and

his dogs, his gaming and---- Why, it is hardly a year since I took off

from Dover that poor Lucy Barton and her brat, after the poor thing

suffering imprisonment in the Tower for his sake!"

"The child's a noble child," said Walter; "but the mother's a sad

reprobate, swears and drinks like a trooper."

"My mother is a woman," exclaimed little Robin, with great gravity,

poising a mutton-bone between his fingers, to arrive at which Crisp was

making extraordinary efforts,--"and I can't deny that I've a sort of

love, though it be a love without hope, for a very pretty girl, a woman

also: now this being the case, I'm not fond of hearing women reflected

on; for when they're young, they're the delight of our eyes; and when

they're old, they're useful, though a trifle crabbed, but still useful;

and a house without a woman would be like--like----"

"Robin at fault!" said Dalton: "you've given me many a comparison, and

now I'll lend you one--a bell without a clapper; won't that do, Robin?"

Robin shook his head.--"Ay, Robin! Robin! you're right, after all. If it

were not for a woman, I'd never set foot on shore again: but I'm proud

of my little Barbara; and all the fine things you tell me of her, Robin,

make me still prouder;--her mother all over. I often think how happy I

shall be to call her daughter, when she won't be ashamed to own me: God

help me!"--and be it noted that Dalton crossed himself as he spoke--"God

help me! I often think that if ever I gain salvation, it will be through

the prayers of that girl. Would that she had been brought up in her

mother's way!"

"What would old Noll say to that papistical sign, master?" inquired

Robin.

"A plague on you and old Noll too! I never get a bit up towards heaven,

that something doesn't pull me back again."