Night or Day; but as there is nothing more ingenious than Love, it was no hard Matter for her, who had before been practiced in theſe Wiles, to find a Way to let him diſcover her Sex: She firſt inſinuated her ſelf into his liking, by talking againſt the Life of a Pyrate, which he was altogether averſe to, ſo they became Meſs-Mates and ſtrict Companions: When ſhe found he had a Friendſhip for her, as a Man, ſhe ſuffered the Diſcovery to be made, by careleſly ſhewing her Breaſts, which were very White.
The young Fellow, who was made of Fleſh and Blood, had his Curioſity and Deſire ſo rais’d by this Sight, that he never ceaſed importuning her, till ſhe confeſſed what ſhe was. Now begins the Scene of Love; as he had a Liking and Eſteem for her, under her ſuppoſed Character, it was now turn’d into Fondneſs and Deſire; her Paſſion was no leſs violent than his, and perhaps ſhe expreſs’d it, by one of the moſt generous Actions that ever Love inſpired. It happened this young Fellow had a Quarrel with one of the Pyrates, and their Ship then lying at an Anchor, near one of the Iſlands, they had appointed to go aſhore and fight, according to the Cuſtom of the Pyrates: Mary Read, was to the laſt Degree uneaſy and anxious, for the Fate of her Lover; ſhe would not have had him refuſe the Challenge, becauſe, ſhe could not bear the Thoughts of his being branded with Cowardiſe; on the other Side, ſhe dreaded the Event, and apprehended the Fellow might be too hard for him: When Love once enters into the Breaſt of one who has any Sparks of Generoſity, it ſtirs the Heart up to the moſt noble Actions; in this Dilemma, ſhe ſhew’d, that ſhe fear’d more for his Life than ſhe did for her own; for ſhe took a Reſolution of quarreling with this Fellow her ſelf, and having challenged him aſhore, ſhe appointed the
