Part 46 (1/2)
”You are right,” said the lieutenant, as the midshi+pman came on deck
”She is little more than half way between us All hands make sail! We h I have slight hopes on the subject, sheto escape”
Every stitch of canvas the brig could carry on a as now set; but the reat doubt whether or not she would have tiet hold of her prey, and escape back to port before the _Ione_ could come up with her
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
The triureat, in proportion to his anger against those whom he suspected to have assisted at her escape; but once having got her again in his power, and safe inside his well-fortified harbour, he felt as a cat does towards the unfortunate ht leave and return to her when he pleased, without a chance of her again running away: he therefore hurried off to the fort, at the sulish flotilla, which he believed had been sent against him; for he could not have supposed that so small a force as was really there would have thus boldly followed him to the very mouth of his den
On his arrival at the fort, he found old Vlacco busily engaged in pointing the guns to bear down on the British boats; and on his sounding his well-known bugle, a large number of his followers collected with their fire-arms, to assist in the defence of the post While they all were occupied in firing at the ene a supply of powder for the guns, from some casks, which, with the usual carelessness of the Greeks, had been left there without the slightest precaution against accident A cask was broached, and much of the powder scattered about After the boats had disappeared, the pirates were retiring froallant attack on the mistico called them back, and it was at this time that a spark from the lantern of athe scattered grains, and produced the conflagration I have before spoken of As the flay, Zappa fleards the building, in vain endeavouring to find means of entrance Wherever he attempted it at the door or , the fire drove him back In vain he called on the name of Nina She neither answered nor did she appear at either of the casements His usual calm demeanour had completely deserted hi, urging his followers to bring ladders to enable him to mount to the story, where he expected to find her Tere at last found, but they were far too short to be of use, and he was soon warned to retire to a distance by the explosion of another cask of powder, which shook the old walls to their foundation, and he had scarcely got to a secure position, when the re down at once, and lay a heap of s e, and that now blazed up, and being very dry and rotten, burnt with equal fury, so that in a very short time it was reduced to a heap of ashes: the old walls of the castle, against which it was built, alone standing It was thus that all traces of the means by which the prisoners had made their escape were obliterated The islanders could do nothing to stop the progress of the flames, for the only water procurable was from a deep well, whence only a small quantity could be drawn up at a tiet it froration had the effect of attracting the population, far and near, to the spot--the fishere, the seamen from the vessels, and indeed everybody in the bay, ca place
Zappa stood at a distance, conteht of Nina in all her youth and beauty, of her fond affection, her deep devotion, of all the sacrifices she had made for hi of bitter regret visited it, for the cruel return he had made her
”This, then, Nina Montifalcone, is the fate I have reserved for you An agonising death the only reward I can give you for that love which still endured after I had torn aside the bright veil hich your fervid iination had clothed me, and showed myself to you in my real colours--that love which I verily believed would have endured after you knew that er, still ave vent aloud to these feelings, so strange to his bosoitated him, he suddenly stood like one transfixed, his breath came thick, his eye dilated, for there before hi on her, stood the figure of Nina Her countenance was pale as death, and she neither spoke nor approached hith, in a voice tre with emotion; ”speak, if you would not drive me to distraction Tell me whence you come, and why you now come to seek me”
”I am Nina Montifalcone,--some time your wife, whom you oft have told you loved,” she replied, in a tone of deep dejection ”What I soon shall be, the greedy worm may best tell”
Her voice recalled hie
”Nina,” he exclaiht you had fallen a victi flames; but think no more of them, and tell me by what miracle you escaped from the tower, before the flames burst forth--for afterwards, no power could have saved you”
”I had gone to comfort and succour the unfortunate, those whoht you even now to plead for them,” she answered boldly; the tone of er discernible
”You take me unawares, and would work on irl, that the persons of whouise to work my destruction? Ah! you look surprised, incredulous! Yes, these lishreat distance fro allant _Sea Hawk_, if they can fall in with her; and I have not told you all--their leader is the captain hiirl, of whom you are so foolishly jealous, is betrothed I knew this, I say, fronorance, for I wished to discover ere their acco in the bay below, and I left the fair girl with hiht know I did not kill him; but I tell you, Nina, if he were to recover, he should not live to escape, and to bring destruction on h his own folly, and no one can accuseslain him; so, except you would wish to make his blood rest on my head, do not pray for his recovery”
”Oh! you would not do so black a deed--you would not slay an innocent ain the bride of whom you had deprived him!
for I feel assured that for no other object did he visit this island; and that should he recover, were you to give her to him, and allow him and those who came with him to depart, he would proe in any way of the knowledge he has obtained by his visit to this island”
Nina spoke with firy, as she said this, for she fancied that her arguain her object
”Ah! have you been consulting with the English signora and her lover, that you plead their cause so well?” he exclaimed, with the bitter tone in which he often spoke ”Well, I will see to it, and now co there, since ours is burnt dohich, Nina, it appears, troubles you but little Know you not, girl, that I have there lost property to the value of h to sour a man's temper, till he can replace theh before I could do”
”My mind was too much occupied with the object I have spoken to you about, to think of the loss, even though everything I possessed was destroyed,” she replied, quietly ”But I still felt thankful that I was preserved from the dreadful fate which would have been ratitude to Heaven for this, show it by granting life and liberty to the English captain and his friends You accuseinfluenced by them to plead their cause; but it is not they who influence ht, and oh! my husband, remember that their fate may soon be yours, and that if you show not mercy to them, you can expect none in return”
”I know that, Nina, I expect none,” he answered, fiercely ”Were I to fall into the power of my eneonies with their laughter, ere they showed ave me liberty I do, Nina, as I expect to be done by; I hope for nothing else But why do I stand prating here? My house is burnt to the ground, and o and crave shelter of the Signora Ada, for you and I have ain close er's Tower, as the Greeks had called the building inhabited by Ada, they found that she and Marianna had already arrived there, and returned to their for had happened to disturb theed there before she sought her husband; and she now returned to them by his directions, to take some rest, which she much required, while he occupied the lower and still unfurnished chamber as a sort of council-hall, where he summoned Vlacco and some of his chief officers to consult what, under the present circumstances, it would be necessary for them to do
As soon as old Vlacco and one or two others had arrived, he sent to have all the prisoners brought before hi their object in venturing on his island, and theirit His visit to the _Ione_ must be remeone on a secret expedition, and he naturally concluded that he was accoreat, when Captain Vassilato, Bowse, and the Maltese, Pietro, were dragged rudely into his presence
”What!” he ain done their work so cluainstseen me before, that I must be deceived There were five prisoners,” he remarked, aloud ”Where are the other two?”