There ought to be civility between strangers.

I may, indeed, be very ignorant of the cut and rig of British war vessels, seeing that I am but a plain trader in seas where ships of war are not often wont to unfurl their flags, but there can be no harm, and there was meant no offense, in warning you to be on your guard." A tinge of sarcasm still lingered in Captain Montague's tone as he replied, "Well, I thank you for the caution.

But to come to the point, what know you of this pirate,--this Durward, as he calls himself; though I have no doubt he has sailed under so many aliases that he may have forgotten his real name." "I know him to be a villain," replied Gascoyne.
"That much I know as well as you," said Montague.
"And yet it is said he takes fits of remorse at times, and would fain change his way of life if he could," continued Gascoyne.
"That I might guess," returned the other; "most wicked men have their seasons of remorse.

Can you tell me nothing of him more definite than this, friend ?" "I can tell you that he is the very bane of my existence," said Gascoyne, the angry expression again flitting for a moment across his countenance, "He not only pursues and haunts me like my own shadow, but he gets me into scrapes by passing his schooner off for mine when he is caught." The young officer glanced in surprise at the speaker as he uttered these words.
"Indeed," said he, "that is a strange confusion of ideas.

So, then, the two schooners bear so strong a resemblance as to be easily mistaken for each other ?" "They are twins.