CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
Zappa had hitherto contrived to prevent the meeting of Ada and Nina, bycompelling both of them to remain shut up in their respective parts ofthe castle. The cause of this conduct it is scarcely necessary toexplain. His object was to keep Nina ignorant of the presence of herrival, and he also hoped to bend Ada's haughty spirit by the confinementto which she was subject. It could not, however, be supposed that Ninashould not hear rumours of the presence of a stranger in the island,although Paolo had been careful not to hurt his sister's feelingsneedlessly, by speaking of her. Little Mila, the only personalattendant with whom she could converse, had been warned not to mentionthe arrival of Ada and her attendant; and for some time she kept thesecret which was burning on her tongue; but as she suffered somewhatfrom that infirmity which is said, I suspect unjustly, to be peculiar toher sex, she at last began to think that she had kept it long enough.She did not, however, at once announce the information she had tocommunicate, but reserved to herself the pleasure of giving it out bydriblets.
"We shall have the whole castle built up as it used to be, one of thesedays, I suspect, signora," she observed, as she was assisting Nina todress. "It would be difficult, though, to arrange a more handsome roomthan this."
"No, Mila, scarcely could anything be more beautiful than this. But whyshould you say so?" asked Nina, whose suspicions had already beenaroused by her attendant's previous remarks.
"Why, signora, I was comparing it with a room I have seen elsewhere,which is also very magnificent," returned Mila.
"You have seen! Why, you have never been off this island," exclaimedNina.
"That is true, signora," said the Greek girl; "but the room I speak ofis on the island, and I confess it is at no great distance from thistower."
"I was not aware that any other part of the castle was inhabited, exceptthe tower and the house close to it," observed Nina.
"There you are mistaken, signora. The other old tower to the east ofthis, has had a room lately fitted up, very much like this, and therelives there a good-natured, lively girl, who tells me--for we manage totalk very well together--that she was born in an island like this, onlylarger. I like her very much, though she is not at all pretty; but shehas a mistress, a young lady, who also lives in the tower, who is acomplete angel--so fair, and kind, and beautiful, though she does notspeak much, as she does not understand a word of Romaic; but I loved herthe moment I saw her, and I am sure you would do so also, signora, wereyou to see her."
"A lady! young, and fair, and beautiful," repeated the Italian girl, afeeling gushing into her bosom which was very far from being allied tolove. "Who is she? how long has she been here? what is she like?"
"As to who she is, signora, all I know is, that they say she belongs toa people who have big ships, and have never been slaves to the Turks;then she has been here ever since our chief came back; for he broughther in his vessel with Signor Paolo, your brother, who knows more abouther than I do; and I suspect, loves her also not a little. And withregard to what she is like--she is not so tall as you are, signora; buther skin is as clear as yours, and fair as the foam blown across theocean in a winter's storm, with some of the hue stolen from the rose onher cheeks; and her eyes--so soft they are, and of the same tint as thebrightest spot in the cloudless sky above our heads."
How long little Mila, having now ventured once to let her tongue runloose on the forbidden subject, would have continued recapitulating thepraises of the stranger lady--little dreaming of the wounds she wasinflicting on the feelings of her older friend and mistress--it isimpossible to say, had not Nina interrupted her.
"I must go and see this stranger lady!" she exclaimed, in a tone whichstartled the little girl, and taught her that it would have been wiserto have obeyed orders, and not mentioned her. "Come, Mila, we will goat once, and you shall run up into her room, and announce me."
"Oh, dear! signora, that will never do," answered the Greek girl. "Youforget that the directions of our chief forbid you to quit your tower;and what would he say, were he to hear that you had visited that of thestranger lady. He is certain to come back, and find you there."
Nina had, however, so determined to satisfy her jealous suspicions, thatshe overruled all Mila's scruples.
"If I find them fatally true, a speedy death will be my only resource,or, ah! that of my rival;" so ran the current of her thoughts. "I couldnot let her live in the triumphant enjoyment of what I had lost--hislove. I could not bear to think that other ears but mine own hear thetender accents of his voice, which speaks so eloquently to me of love.'Twould be madness to know that I were flung aside for one more youngand beautiful, perchance, but one who could not feel for him one tenthpart of the intense love I bear him. I must go and see her. If sheis--oh! God, what?" And her hand touched, unconsciously, the hilt of asmall dagger she wore in her girdle.
Ada Garden was sitting in her chamber when little Mila hurried into herpresence, and intimated, as well as she could, that a lady desired tosee her, flying out at the same speed with which she entered.
As it happened, Ada did not, in the least, understand what she meant,and supposing it was a matter of no importance, continued the perusal ofa work she held in her hand. She was startled by hearing a deep sigh,and looking up, she saw a graceful female figure standing at the otherend of the room, with her eyes fixed intently on her. For the firstmoment, the idea glanced across her mind, that her senses must havedeceived her, so statue-like was the form--so rigid was the gaze; but afew seconds served to assure her that a human being was in her presence.Her own look, as she lifted up her eyes, betokened surprise, though notalarm, and there was that sweet and tranquil expression, that purity,the consciousness of innocence, in her countenance, which the beautifulItalian--for she was the intruder--interpreted aright. Nina did notutter a word for some moments; but with the passionate impulse whichhad, unhappily, too often guided her, she advanced towards her supposedrival, and knelt down before her, bending her head to the ground. Shesoon looked up, and gazed in her countenance with an expression ofearnest inquiry, as if she would read her thoughts.
"Lady," she at length exclaimed, "I have wronged you--I feel--I know--you cannot be the base, the cruel being I have believed you. You wouldnot seek to estrange the affections of a husband from one who lives forhim alone. Say you do not love Argiri Caramitzo, the chief of thisisland--you do not wish to win his love."
Astonishment prevented Ada from answering this extraordinary address,and she hesitated, while she considered in what terms she should speak,so that she might quickly tranquillise the agitated feelings of hervisitor, and, at the same time, avoid wounding them.
Nina seemed to mistake her silence for an acknowledgment of guilt, forshe sprang to her feet, and her dagger-blade flashed in her hand. Inanother moment, it would have been stained with blood, had not Adaexclaimed--
"Indeed you do me wrong, signora. I would not rob you of your husband'slove, for all the world can give. I am not mistaken in supposing you tobe the sister of Signor Paolo Montifalcone; and if so, I already knowyour history, and, far from seeking to injure you, would do all in mypower to preserve you from harm."
"You can but injure me in one way, and that you might do unknowingly andunwillingly," exclaimed the Italian, still regarding her with a glanceof distrust; while she clutched the weapon in her right hand, which hungdown by her side, the other being stretched out before her, as if toprevent her supposed rival from approaching her.
Ada felt an unusual courage come to her aid. She neither trembled norturned pale, nor did she show any attempt to defend herself from Nina'smistaken vengeance; but she lifted her mild blue eyes, full ofcommiseration, towards the now flashing orbs of the Italian, and, in asweet, calm voice, she said--
"There is a Power above, which, if we seek, will arm us both--youagainst such vain fears, me against the guilt, unknowing though it maybe, of winning affections which should be your alone."
A fresh impulse seized t
he unhappy Nina; flinging away her weapon, sherushed forward, and throwing herself on her knees, clasped Ada's handand covered it with kisses.
"I have not the heart to injure you, though you should prove mydestruction," she exclaimed. "But you will not allow him to pour thewords of tender endearment into those ears; nay, if he does but think orutter one word of love, remember, the time has come to act for your ownsafety. Here, take this weapon, and promise me to employ it, should thenecessity arrive, for should you fail to do so, neither your beauty, norhis shielding arm could save you from the maddened impulse of my hand--the last dying effort of my strength."
As she spoke, she rose, and lifting her dagger from the ground, shereturned with it towards Ada.
"Nay, fear not, lady," she said, as she saw Ada start. "It is harmlessnow. Take the dagger, and keep it as remembrance of the unhappy NinaMontifalcone."
Nina presented the weapon, as she said this, with the hilt towards Ada,who considered it would be more politic to accept the gift, though,indeed, she shuddered as she did so; but she felt that she might herselfunhappily be driven to the dire necessity of employing it. She took it,therefore, and placed it on the table by her. She then raised theexcited and unhappy girl, who had again sunk on her knees, and placedher on a seat by her side, when, after some time, she succeeded, by slowdegrees, in completely tranquillising and re-assuring her mind.
"You are no stranger to me, Nina," said Ada Garden, affectionatelyholding her hand. "Your brother has told me the whole of your history,and his own unhappy fate. His devotion to you seems unparalleled. Doyou feel that you give it a just return?"
"Alas! no," answered Nina. "He has, I fear, sacrificed himself to mefrom that dreadful night when I left my native home, confused,bewildered, and little dreaming that it was to be for ever. But I donot detain him; if he wishes to return he may do so."
"He came with you, and without you he will not go back," observed Ada.
"While my father lived, I would have returned to see him, at the risk ofmy life--at the risk of the displeasure of one dearer than life; but nowthat he is no more, no earthly power should make me quit my husband."
"But your brother has doubts of the truth of the report of your father'sdeath, and would still induce you to accompany him," said Ada.
"What! and allow you to remain?" whispered Nina, her fears, in a moment,rushing back to the baneful course from which they had been diverted."No, lady, that were folly too great even for me to commit."
Ada saw that she was touching on dangerous ground.
"Indeed, again you wrong me, Nina," she said, tenderly pressing herhand. "I did not believe my intentions could be so misconstrued; but Iwill not mention a subject which is so painful to you."
"There are few which are not, lady," returned Nina, again appeased; "forthe very language we speak reminds me of the home I have lost, themisery I have caused--it reminds me that I may be stigmatised as amurderess; that the death of the best, the kindest of fathers, may belaid to my charge; and often would such thoughts drive me to madness,and to seek a speedy end to all my misery from the summit of yondercliff; but for what I have lost, I have gained a prize which recompensesme for all--the love of one without which death would have been welcome;a love I value more than all the earth's brightest treasure. They saythe maidens in your country are calm and cold as the snow on theAppenines, and it were in vain, therefore, for you, lady, to attempt toconceive what that love is. He might abandon me--he might forget me--hemight spurn me, but still I should love him, though I slew him for hisperfidy; and should die happily on the tomb to which I had consignedhim. Then do not speak to me again of quitting him;--he is my world,and all else I have abandoned for him."
Ada, after this, did not again attempt to renew the subject--indeed,pirate though he was, Zappa, she remembered, was, there existed everyreason to believe, the young Italian's husband; and though utterlyunworthy of her devoted affection, as she had herself too strong a proofto doubt, Nina still owed to him the duty of a wife. She had severedother sacred ties, in a way they can never be severed without ultimatelybringing grief and remorse to the heart of the guilty one; but she nowmust abide by the consequences of her fault, and had no power to quithim to whom she had bound herself, even to visit the deathbed of afather. It was painful, however, to Ada, to reflect what must be theultimate fate of her lovely and interesting companion, when the pirate'salready waning love was burnt out--when the cast on which she had stakedher all on earth was lost for ever; or, should the lawless adventurermeet the fate his daring expeditions seemed to court, and when deathshould claim his own, she should learn that he whom she had so trulyloved was a murderer, and a robber, and had died the death of amalefactor, what anguish, what shame, was in store for her--what adreary future.
The two girls, both equally beautiful in their separate styles, sattogether, without speaking, for some time, lost in their ownreflections. Both were sad--for one was a prisoner, without a prospectof release: to the mind of the other, a picture of the home of heryouth, and her deserted, dying father, had been conjured up with thevividness with which they had never before presented themselves, andsome pangs of remorse were agitating her mind. They were startled by aloud peal of thunder, which reverberated through the sky, and lookingout through the casement they beheld the whole air of heaven coveredwith dark rolling clouds, and the sea a mass of white foam, which ablast, like a whirlwind, blew furiously over the surface; while thesullen roar of the lately aroused waves was heard as they lashed therocks beneath the cliffs. One of those sudden tempests had arisen,which at times visit the shores of the Mediterranean with peculiar fury;their anger, like the rage of a human being, though short, yet causinghavoc and destruction wherever it falls. The wind, as it increased,howled and whistled through the ruined building; the lightning darted,with vivid flashes, from the lowering sky; and the waves, worked intofury, rose every instant higher and higher, till they appeared like thewater of a boiling cauldron, as their white-headed crests leaped uptowards the tower, which they seemed to shake to the very base.
Marianna, followed by little Mila, rushed into the room, shrieking withalarm; crying out that the building was going to fall about their heads;at the same time, the rain descended so furiously, that they were afraidto venture into the open air.
"Oh! signora, we are all going to be washed into the sea, and we shallnever more be heard of; oh! Santa Maria, have mercy on us," cried theMaltese, rushing up to Ada, and crouching down by her side.
The Greek girl was not so much alarmed, as she had witnessed similartempests before, and knew how speedily they terminated; so also hadNina, who gazed at it devoid of all fear; and whose agitated state ofmind it seemed rather to allay than increase.
"Do not be alarmed, lady," she said, smiling, as she turned to Ada."You may also quiet the fears of your attendant, for the masonry withwhich we are surrounded has already stood firm for several hundred yearsthrough many a fiercer storm than this; and the shocks we now feel arenot likely to shatter these old towers. They are caused by the wavesdashing under the caverned rocks beneath our feet. How furiously thewaters rage and foam at the opposition this little island makes againstthem. It was during a storm like this that Argiri Caramitzo was firstbrought to my father's castle. Heaven grant that he may not have beentempted out on the sea this morning. Mila, do you know if your chiefleft the harbour since I came here?"
The latter sentence she spoke in her broken Romaic, and in a tone whichshowed her agitation.
"Yes, lady," answered the Greek girl, "He went on board one of themisticos as soon as he reached the harbour, and immediately set sail."
"Great heaven, and is even now on yon troubled waters," exclaimed thepoor girl almost fainting with agitation. "And I am here, nor even tillthis instant thought of him. Cannot we send out the other mistico toassist him. Surely some of his brave followers will be found ready tosearch for him. I myself will accompany them."
"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. "Yetwe need not fear for the safety of our chief--he is even now probablytaking shelter under some of the neighbouring islands. He and those whoare with him are too well accustomed to the signs of the weather not tohave perceived this storm in time to have escaped from its fury."
"Ah, I think I see a white sail flying before the wind, like asea-bird's wing on the summit of the waves," exclaimed Marianna, who hadbeen looking through the telescope at the object of which she spoke.
"Oh, it must be the mistico, then," cried Nina joyfully, hastening tothe telescope, through which she saw the white canvas, closely reefed,of a small vessel standing for the island.
"Oh, it is the mistico," she exclaimed eagerly. "I know her by theshape of her sails. It must be her, and they are returning in safety."
As soon as Nina had withdrawn her eye from the glass, which she did notdo for a long time, till she had fully persuaded herself that the vesselin sight was the one she hoped, with her husband on board, Ada'scuriosity and interest were excited to watch the progress of themistico. On she came, careering across the foaming sea, now lifted onthe summit of a curling wave, now sunk into the deep trough between thewatery mountains, where she would remain, her sail alone visible,apparently about to be overwhelmed by the wave which lifted its crestedhead close astern of her; but again she would rise once more on thesummit of another, and as it were seated on it would fly onwards for along distance, again to plunge down to the dangerous depths from whichshe had just emerged. To Ada the little vessel appeared in the mostimminent danger, and she expected every instant to see it disappearbeneath the waves, and wondered how she could have so long continued tobuffet them successfully. As she watched, she observed that themistico, instead of steering towards the west end of the island, so asto fetch the mouth of the bay, was gradually verging towards the east;and it struck her also that she was smaller than the mistico she hadbeen accustomed to see from the stern windows of the brig, while she wasliving on board. But of that, of course, she was not able to form anycorrect judgment, as from so great a height and distance the eye even ofthe most experienced is easily deceived. She feared therefore that thesail in sight was a stranger, and would, to a certainty, be wrecked onthe coast, without the chance of receiving any aid from the inhabitants,who were much more likely to murder any of the unfortunate crew whomight escape the perils of shipwreck, for the sake of their clothes, andany money they might have about them, than to assist in preserving theirlives.
Nina also had been watching, with still more intense interest, theprogress of the sail, now seen without the aid of the glass; but sopersuaded was she that it was her husband's mistico, that she did notremark the difference of size, nor that she was not steering directlyfor the harbour.
"Ah, he will be here soon, and in spite of the storm I must return to mytower, to receive him when he comes on shore," she exclaimed in acheerful voice. "Lady I must bid you farewell, and as I cannot now tellyou all the love and gratitude I feel for you, I must entreat you toallow me to visit you again. You will forget my passion and folly, andremember only any redeeming traits you may have discovered in me. Sayyou will do this, my sweet friend, before I leave you."
"Indeed I will," answered Ada, pressing both the hands which were heldout to her. "I shall think of you always with the affection of asister; but I must not let you go even now; for I fear greatly you willbe disappointed in your expectations. See, yonder bark; mark how herhead is turned; and tell me if she is steering for the harbour."
"Alas! that is not our chief's mistico, after all," exclaimed littleMila, corroborating the 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 some reason forapproaching the further end of the island, if, indeed, he is not aboutto enter the harbour--perhaps he may purpose going round it to anchor onthe northern side."
"That vessel, as she now steers, would not get round the island, lady,"observed the Greek girl. "I wish my grandfather were here--and he wouldunderstand clearly all about it. Ah, there he is; and now the rain isover I may venture out and call him up here. He will explain mattersclearly to us."
Saying this, without a thought of the consequences either to herself orto her, should the morose old pirate think fit to inform his chief ofNina's visit to the stranger lady, out ran the lively girl into the openair.
She was almost blown away down the ravine by a furious gust of wind,which caught her just as she got outside the door; but, undaunted, shemanaged to work on her way, shouting loudly all the time to hergrandfather to come to her assistance; but as he was to windward, andrather deaf, he did not hear her.
At last she reached him, and seized him by the arm to support herself,after her fatiguing run, while she insisted on his accompanying her backto the apartment of the stranger lady.
He looked very angry at first at being asked to go; but little Mila'seloquence conquered, and she led him in triumph back, holding on by hisarm; but this time it was to prevent herself from being fairly liftedoff her feet, and blown along over the ground.
He made a somewhat unwilling salute to the two ladies, as he entered theroom, while Mila dragged him up to the window.
"Now tell these ladies what you think about that mistico there, which isdriving towards the shore--let me see, where is she? Alas! she has comefrightfully near."
"That mistico, why she must be a stranger to these parts, or she wouldnot venture near our shore; and she has a crew on board who know verylittle about their calling, for they are going to wreck themselves asclearly as possible, somewhere at the east end of the island. Theycould not do it better if they were to try; and as there are only twoplaces on the whole coast where they have a chance of escaping, probablyin a few minutes they will have gone 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 notinvited to come here, will probably have their throats cut for theirintrusion, if, by chance, they happen to get in shore alive."
"But your chief--what think you of your chief?" exclaimed Nina eagerly.
"He is safe enough under shelter of one of the islands, and will be backhere right enough to-morrow morning," answered the old man.
"Grant heaven it may be so," ejaculated Nina. "And now, Vlacco, youmust obey me in this. Collect all the men you can, and hasten along theshore, to where that vessel will be wrecked. Remember, the life of yourchief was preserved in a similar manner, and it were impious to allowany to perish whom we can save. Bring such as escape safe to my tower;and beware that no one robs or injures them."
The old man, who had found that he had been very much too severe to Ninaduring the last absence of Zappa, was glad of an opportunity ofregaining her favour, and accordingly promised to obey her directions.
In spite of the violence of the storm, he immediately set out to collectsome more youthful and active men to attend him; and he was soon againseen crossing the causeway in the direction of the place towards whichthe vessel was driving.
As it was scarcely possible for Nina to reach her own tower, shecontinued, with Ada Garden, watching the awful progress of the mistico.
On came the little vessel, scarcely visible, amid the foam and spraywhich surrounded her.
She had now got completely to the east side of the tower, whereas, whenfirst seen at the greatest distance, she was in the south-west. Hercourse must, therefore, have been about northeast, as nearly aspossible, directly before the wind; and whatever old Vlacco might havesaid to the contrary, she must have been steered by no timid or ignoranthands.
"She may even now get round the east end of the island!" exclaimed Nina,whose eye had seldom been off her. "If she can once do that, theunhappy men on board her may yet escape with their lives."
<
br /> "But suppose she does not, will not the old Greek and his followers beable to rescue them?" asked Ada; who, though less apparently excited,felt an equal, if not a greater interest in the fate of the stranger.
"Ah! she appears even now to be full a mile short of the point. And seeyonder wave which lifts her up--in another instant, it will dash her onthose frowning rocks, and all on board must perish. Oh! Heaven, havemercy on them. There--there--they are lost."
As she spoke, a huge wave came rolling on, lifting the little vessel onits curling summit, and, with a loud roar, bore her, with the wildestimpetuosity, towards the frowning cliffs. Downward it came with aterrific crash, its crest flying upwards in showers of foam, and hurlingthe bark, she was lost to sight among the rocks. All the females, asthey beheld the sad spectacle, uttered a cry of horror, and they fanciedthat they could hear, amid the howling of the storm, the despairingshrieks of the drowning mariners, and could distinguish, among the foam,their dying forms, with their arms stretched out, in their agony, forassistance, where none could come.
"They are all lost!" cried Nina, hiding her face in her hands to shutout the dreadful sight her imagination had conjured up. "May the saintsintercede for their souls!"
Her example was followed by Marianna and Mila, while Ada, though paleand trembling, had pointed the telescope towards the spot, for thepurpose of discovering whether any human beings had succeeded in gainingthe shore. Not a vestige of the wreck could she see; but on the summitof the cliff, above where she supposed the vessel must have struck, shebeheld a person, whom she concluded was old Vlacco, waving, as if tosome one below. He and his followers then disappeared down the cliffs.
"There is hope yet, Nina--there is hope yet!" she exclaimed joyfully."Thank Heaven! some may have escaped."