Part 3 (2/2)
”What, then, you learnt who your friend was?” said the stranger
”Oh, yes! we heard a good deal about hi traders in those parts”
”And who is this forer
”No other than that daring devil, Zappa,” said the merchant ”You have heard of him, doubtless?”
”I think I have soer
”But has he already established so terrific a na”
”Ay, but old in crime A man who murders all his captives, and sinks every shi+p he plunders, soon gets his naain notoriety Each ht,out his arain an elevated position; and your friend, Signor Zappa, as you call him, seems to have chosen a very certain one, at least, if he falls into the hands of the governor of this island; who, judging fro up at the entrance of the port, treats such gentry with no slight distinction, by placing them in the most conspicuous posts within his jurisdiction”
”You jokematter to those who have been robbed and nearly et the villains in h as Ha ”Such is but a natural impulse Yet, as I have not suffered, I cannot enter quite so warrateful to you for your account; and I shall take very good care to keep out of the way of your friend Zappa
May I ask, by the way, the appearance and name of the vessel commanded by this renowned cut-throat?”
”Certainly,” said the h, as I said, it was nearly dark when he boarded us; but I should describe her as a rakish polacca brig, of about two hundred and fifty tons burden; and from e learnt afterwards, we discovered that she must be the celebrated _Sea Hawk_
It is said that she is so fleet that nothing could ever catch her, and that she co she chases; so that, my friend, you may not avoid her quite so easily as youto knohat she is like; and, if we cannot run froer ”However, before we part, let me assure you that I shall be most happy to be of any service to you in ain sail from hence?”
”In a few days our mission here will be concluded We then return to our beloved Greece,” replied thechased by the _Sea Hawk_, and of falling into the hands of that rogue, Zappa!” exclaier
”However, as, by the law of chances, you could scarcely encounter him twice, I should much like to accompany you, for I should then consider o?”
”A Venetian merchant schooner, the _Floriana_ She sails hence in four days; and, as she has a rich cargo, she is well-armed and has plenty of men--so we need not fear Zappa or any other pirate”
”Just as I should wish I will look out for her, depend on it,”
exclaier, quickly ”But I entlemen I have an appoint this, the stranger bowed to his new acquaintance; and throwing down his reckoning with a haughty air, quitted the coffee-house
”He see Greeks to his father ”He will be a great addition to our society on board”
”I aacious merchant ”Fair spoken he is without doubt; but for honesty, why you know the safe rule is to look upon all men as knaves till you find theer honest, or you h it is doubtless fancy, I cannot help thinking that our friend there bears a very striking resemblance to the pirate Zappa”
CHAPTER FOUR
There is an old saying, that, ”Give a dog a bad name, it is sure to stick by him” On this account I suppose it is that Jews are always considered rogues I a that they really are so invariably, or even generally On the contrary, I believe that there are a great nu people aes of free men
That, in those times and countries where they have been treated as worse than slaves, despised, insulted, and robbed on every occasion, they should have beco, is not only not surprising, but is according to the lahich govern , invariably row mean, treacherous, and false Cut off from all honourable pursuits, they have recourse to such as are within their power; and thus the Jeere unable to hold even land in their possession, became the money-makers; and, consequently, ed and deprived by extortion of their wealth, they naturally endeavoured to regain, by every means left to theh there are ht conduct is sufficient to retrieve the characters of their whole people, such cannot be said for the old Maltese Jew, Aaron Bannech He was a rogue ingrain To lie, cheat, and rob, where he could do so without risk of detection, was his occupation and delight Lying, cheating, and robbery, were in him a second nature He considered them not only lawful, but praiseworthy e if he tried By so doing, he had heaped up hoards of wealth--he had raised himself from abject penury, and how could he be expected to persuade his conscience, or what stood hihtly
True his gold was of no real use to him--he had no one to enjoy it with hiht say that it would serve to repurchase Judea for his people; but he cared no more for Judea than he did for Home He would not have parted with a sixpence to rebuild Jerusalee interest for his money--indeed he would probably have required very sufficient security, before he would have consented to part with it
His appearance was far froround den, which he appeared to have burrowed out for hi walls of one of the old mansions of Valetta He had sharp, ferrety eyes, a hooked nose, and a long, dirty, grey beard; indeed, no difference could be discerned between hi old clothes in London He wore a brown cap on his head, anila, long serge overcoat, the colour of which it was impossible to determine; and a pair of slippers, which had once been yellow, but were now stained with e The chamber in which he sat was fitted up with a desk, and a table covered with packages of papers and account-books, two high stools, and three or four rickety chairs
He was by hi in expectation of the arrival of the Greek