Part 31 (1/2)
”Alas, signora, it would be in vain now to attempt to put to to sea,”
replied Mila, who knew more about nautical affairs than did Nina ”Yet we need not fear for the safety of our chief--he is even now probably taking shelter under so islands He and those who are with hins of the weather not to have perceived this storm in time to have escaped fro before the wind, like a sea-bird's wing on the su through the telescope at the object of which she spoke
”Oh, itto the telescope, through which she saw the white canvas, closely reefed, of a s for the island
”Oh, it is the erly ”I know her by the shape of her sails Itin safety”
As soon as Nina had withdrawn her eye fro time, till she had fully persuaded herself that the vessel in sight was the one she hoped, with her husband on board, Ada's curiosity and interest were excited to watch the progress of thesea, now lifted on the suh between the watery mountains, where she would remain, her sail alone visible, apparently about to be overwhelmed by the hich lifted its crested head close astern of her; but again she would rise once more on the summit of another, and as it were seated on it would fly onwards for a long distance, again to plunge down to the dangerous depths froed To Ada the little vessel appeared in the er, and she expected every instant to see it disappear beneath the waves, and wondered how she could have so long continued to buffet them successfully As she watched, she observed that thetowards the west end of the island, so as to fetch thetowards the east; and it struck her also that she was smaller than the mistico she had been accusto, while she was living on board But of that, of course, she was not able to forht and distance the eye even of the most experienced is easily deceived She feared therefore that the sail in sight was a stranger, and would, to a certainty, be wrecked on the coast, without the chance of receiving any aid from the inhabitants, ere ht escape the perils of shi+pwreck, for the sake of their clothes, and any ht have about the their lives
Nina also had been watching, with still ress of the sail, now seen without the aid of the glass; but so persuaded was she that it was her husband's mistico, that she did not re directly for the harbour
”Ah, he will be here soon, and in spite of the storm I must return to my tower, to receive him when he comes on shore,” she exclaimed in a cheerful voice ”Lady I must bid you farewell, and as I cannot now tell you all the love and gratitude I feel for you, I ettraits you may have discovered in me Say you will do this, my sweet friend, before I leave you”
”Indeed I will,” answered Ada, pressing both the hands which were held out to her ”I shall think of you alith the affection of a sister; but I reatly you will be disappointed in your expectations See, yonder bark;for the harbour”
”Alas! that is not our chief'sthe opinion Ada had formed ”She will be wrecked, too, and all in her will, to a certainty, perish”
”I cannot think that it is not his,” said Nina ”He has so the further end of the island, if, indeed, he is not about to enter the harbour--perhaps heround it to anchor on the northern side”
”That vessel, as she now steers, would not get round the island, lady,”
observed the Greek girl ”I wish randfather were here--and he would understand clearly all about it Ah, there he is; and now the rain is over I may venture out and call him up here He will explain ht of the consequences either to herself or to her, should the morose old pirate think fit to inforer lady, out ran the lively girl into the open air
She was alust of wind, which caught her just as she got outside the door; but, undaunted, sheloudly all the tirandfather to come to her assistance; but as he was to ard, and rather deaf, he did not hear her
At last she reached him, and seized hi run, while she insisted on his accoer lady
He looked very angry at first at being asked to go; but little Mila's eloquence conquered, and she led hi on by his ar fairly lifted off her feet, and blown along over the ground
Hesalute to the two ladies, as he entered the rooed him up to the
”Now tell these ladies what you think about thattowards the shore--let htfully near”
”That er to these parts, or she would not venture near our shore; and she has a crew on board who know very little about their calling, for they are going to wreck themselves as clearly as possible, somewhere at the east end of the island They could not do it better if they were to try; and as there are only two places on the whole coast where they have a chance of escaping, probably in a few one to the other world”
”Then you think that she is not my husband's mistico,” said Nina
”Think! why no, of course not; she is not unlike her either, lady,”
answered the old pirate ”They are strangers, who, as they are not invited to come here, will probably have their throats cut for their intrusion, if, by chance, they happen to get in shore alive”
”But your chief--what think you of your chief?” exclaih under shelter of one of the islands, and will be back here right enough to-,” answered the old man