Part 27 (1/2)
”I understand you, signor; and I beg now to thank you for the courtesy and delicacy hich you have treated me,” said Ada ”And I will ask you as a farther favour, to tell me what has beco?”
As she spoke her voice trembled, and a tear started in her eye
”Indeed, lady, I would gladly answer your question if I could I know nothing of your relative,” replied Zappa ”But I a you with my presence I came but to ascertain that you were satisfied with such huer intrude myself on your presence Lady, farewell; and should any suspicions enter your mind about me, I entreat you to banish theainst uilty”
It would be difficult to describe the tone hich those words were uttered, or the polished bow Zappa gave as he quitted the roo over the feelings of his prisoner, to look on hiard
A whole day passed aithout the appearance of Paolo, or any person except little Mila The young Greek girl was her only attendant, besides Marianna; but as she could not ether in the room Had she even not felt herself a prisoner, the day would have passed wearily aith so fewherself at her disposal She examined the books which had been placed on the shelves: they werebeen on board the _Zodiac_ In vain, however, she tried to give her attention to thehts wandered away till they were lost in the painful reflection which her position naturally suggested A herself in such fancy-work as was the fashi+on in those days, but she soon threw it down in despair, as rather increasing than relieving her anxiety
Such was not the case with Marianna, who quickly recovered her spirits, and plied her needle with her usual diligence, and laughed and sang, as if nothing out of the way had occurred One of her great sources of pleasure was, in the intervals of her work, to look through a telescope which Paolo had placed in the roo the cargo of some vessel plundered by Zappa or his associates The view, as I have said, froreater part of the east side of the island and into the interior; and a glih the vessels lying there were not visible It was in the afternoon of the second day after their arrival that Marianna was alass, when she uttered an exclanora--do co to the island; for I see her white sails just rising out of the water She is co to take us home--I know she is”
Ada flew to the telescope--her heart beating with agitation at the very uine as those of her damsel She looked earnestly for some time at the sail which Marianna had observed; but, as she withdrew her eye from the tube, she shook her head with a look of disappointment
”The sail looks very small,” she said ”So I fear, Marianna, it cannot be a shi+p of war, and no other can afford us assistance”
”Oh, but it is yet a long way off, signora,” urged the Maltese girl
”When it coer, as I have often observed from the s of your uncle's house in Valetta a little sail no bigger than a pocket-handkerchief, which has grown larger, and larger, and larger, till it has beco out of her sides Who knows but what this land, with Signor Fleetwood as captain, to look after you? My heart tells me that she is a friend”
Ada snostications, in which she could so little participate
”I fear you are wrong in this case, ood Marianna,” she answered
”You observe that the vessel we see is suish three distinct sails, and soon the hull itself will rise out of the water, and then we shall be better able to judge of its proper dilass Tell nora, I can distinguish the dark mark of the body of the vessel, and she seeirl, as bending down upon a table draards the ith her eye to the glass
The vessel they were looking at was rather to the west of the island, towards which she was standing close-hauled beating up against an easterly wind, bound probably up the Dardanelles The sea was calave it the appearance of a plain ofelse can I co lustre The breeze had been uncertain all the ht as not to disturb the ain so as to send the vessel along rapidly through the water It had, however, lately, in shore, given signs of dying away altogether The stranger stood on till she fetched up, al into the mouth of the concealed cove, either totally unconscious of the danger of her proceeding, or indifferent to the consequences
The latter could scarcely be the case; for, as Ada again looked at her through the telescope, she observed that she was a vessel apparently of littlewas that of a brigantine--the fore fore-and-aft sails like a schooner When she had stood in within a quarter of a et becal, uncertain of the depth of water If it was to avoid the forone about than her sails flapped idly against the masts, and she lay unable to make any way at all
Ada was now convinced that she was a stranger--a ed by the cut of the sails, the short yards, and the few uns, it is true, but they were of little weight ofa really determined attack
Ada trembled for her fate, when she recollected her suspicions of the lawless character of the inhabitants of the island As she atching the persons on the deck of the vessel, she saw that there was suddenly so them; several persons hurried fro the mouth of the harbour with their telescopes
The cause was soon apparent, for as she looked in that direction, a long low dark object was seen to steal out frorass, and dart towards them
It was one of thethe deck, and i oars, pulled by twice that number of men, while as many more stood in the after part, and at the boith their matchlocks in their hands ready for use In the bow, also, was a long brass gun on a swivel, pointed towards the dooer was, however, manned by no cowardly hearts As soon as they saw the nature of their eneuns, loaded them, and ran the on the shore They knew that escape was impossible, and that they had little hope of , on the chance of striking the ene him to return Unhappily, neither shot told with much useful effect
One struck the water just ahead of her, the other hit her gunnel and killed two of the people, which only exasperated the others, andany other similar visitors
”Oh! Jesu Maria,” exclai her eyes in her hands
”What can be the reason that the vessel there should fire at the boat?”
”I am afraid we shall be witnesses of a dreadful scene,” said Ada; ”and yet I cannot withdraw my eyes from it Oh! ill become of the poor people on board the vessel if those wretches in the et near her? See! they are land”
The ensign had been hoisted as the brigantine fired; but while watching the Greek vessel she had not observed it The English, undaunted, set up a loud cheer, as they again run out their guns; but the pirates, taught by experience, pulled round under her stern, where her guns could not reach the pieces at them As they were much lower than she was, the shot injured no one on deck; but flew through the fore-topsail They did not again atte to their vast superiority of nuside, with the object of carrying her by boarding The English had tiuns over to the starboard side, on which the mistico boarded them, and to fire directly down into her, before the pirates were able to leap up their side