human
And you--who, in Heaven's name are you, that know all this?
gpt
That I will tell you presently. Suffice it to say that I do know that I am speaking God's truth.
human
Angels in heaven! the Countess De Courcy my mother! From whom did you learn this?
gpt
From your father.
human
My father is dead.
gpt
Your father is not.
human
What?
gpt
Your father is not dead!
human
Sir, you are either mad or mocking me!
gpt
Young man, I am neither.
human
My father was drowned on his way to Van Diemen's Land.
gpt
Your father was not.
human
Great heavens, am I sane or mad? exclaimed Ray, in a loud, thrilling tone.
gpt
Man, demon, devil! whoever you are, was not the transport wrecked on her way from England?
human
She was.
gpt
And all on board lost?
human
No.
gpt
No?
human
No; I repeat. All were lost but two--your father was one of these.
gpt
Heaven of heavens! And where is my father now?
human
That, too, you will learn anon. If you please, we will take things in the order of their occurring. Listen, now. Sit down and be calm; getting excited will do no good and only retard matters. The transport struck a sunken reef and was wrecked one stormy night. Your father and one sailor clung to a spar until daylight. By that time all the rest had disappeared--were engulfed in the ocean and perished. Captain, sailors, convicts and all were equal, at last, in the boundless sea. Before noon the next day your father and the sailor were seen and picked up by a passing vessel.
gpt
Were you that sailor?
human
Patience, my dear sir, said Captain Reginald, with a slight smile:
gpt
We? broke in Ray at this point, fixing his eyes piercingly on the other's face--
human
Hasty and impatient yet. You must learn that great Christian virtue, patience, Mr. Germaine; one cannot well get through the world without it. Whether I was the sailor in question, or not, does not matter; suffice it to say, I was on board the ship when she was mastered by the pirates. They were short of hands, and the captain very graciously offered their lives to those that remained, on condition of their taking an oath of allegiance to him, and becoming rovers and free lords of the high seas. One or two honest souls preferred the red maws of hungry sharks who went swimming round the ships, casting longing eyes up at us, asking, as plainly as looks could speak, for another mouthful of an old salt. They were gratified, too; for three of as good, brave, warm-hearted fellows as ever climbed the rigging walked the plank that hour, and found their graves in the capacious stomachs of the ravenous devils of sharks. Poor fellows! if there is such a place as heaven they went there straight; for heaven is as easily reached by water as land. I suppose it doesn't matter whether people are conveyed to it in canvas shrouds or inside of sharks.
gpt
Very true, said Ray;
human
Yes, we joined them; I was reckless and so was he; we did not care a fillip whether we cruised under the black flag or the red cross of St. George. Life was not of much value to him for its own sake, but he had to live for sundry notions--revenge, I fancy, being the strongest. Then he had a child living--you, Master Raymond; and though considerable of a devil himself, he had some human feeling left, and the only white spot in his soul was his love for you, for his mother, and for Lady Maude Percy. For he loved her then, loves her still, and will while life remains for him.
gpt
And yet she scorned him,