position may be, he is a baronet's nephew and prospective heir it would
seem. It is sheer madness on your part to keep a man like him on
board."

"But I tell you that I asked Stump to discharge him, and met with a
blank refusal," replied the Baron irritably.

"That is even more amazing. Are not these men your servants?"

"Yes, in a sense. Try to understand me, Maud. I had to select men of
good character, or they might fail me in the hour of real need. If you
hire pirates you must expect them to act like pirates, yes? Stump
favors Royson, so he pointed out that as I had engaged him I must
dismiss him. And you know quite well, if you would only be reasonable,
that any such action on my part could hardly fail to arouse some
measure of doubt in Fenshawe's mind, which is the very thing we wish to
avoid."

"I think you are wrong, nevertheless."

"You should not say that if you are not prepared to tell me how I could
arrange an awkward business better. And what are you afraid of? He is
as keen as any of us for the adventure, and he will be well paid if it
succeeds."

"You are a poor conspirator, my dear Franz," laughed Mrs. Haxton
disagreeably. "If you were really the clever person you think yourself
you would know that such a man may leaven the whole crew with his ideas
of honor. And, when the pressure comes, he will have an excellent
helper in that girl. She, too, should have been left at home. Oh,