"No, certainly not!" he replied quickly.  "Do not misunderstand me.  It was not your father who was my enemy, oh no!  He was my rival for a time, it is true, but he was also my friend, and the very soul of honour.  Oh no! the loss of your mother's love was merely one of many results of a piece of as consummate villainy as ever dragged the honour of a British naval officer in the mire.  But, pshaw! let us speak of other things.  I suppose you have wondered what are my ultimate intentions toward you, have you not?  Well, I will tell you.  You once reproached me with having ruined your professional career.  My dear boy, have no fear of anything of the kind.  It was your misfortune, not your fault, that we were too strong for you, and if Sir Timothy Tompion--oh yes," in answer to my look of surprise, "I know Sir Timothy quite well, and he knows me, or thinks he does!--if Sir Timothy had only known that he was sending you out to fight the _Barracouta_, he would have given you, if not a bigger ship, at least twice as heavy an armament, and twice as strong a crew.  So, when he comes to hear your story, he will not blame you for failing to take me; have no fear of that.  Therefore, because I feel convinced that your ill-success in your fight with me will in nowise prejudice your professional prospects, it is my intention, all being well, to take you to sea with me next trip, and either put you ashore somewhere whence you can easily make your way to Port Royal, or else to put you aboard the first ship bound for Kingston that we may chance to fall in with.