CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
Left at liberty, Nina and Ada returned to the upper chamber of thetower, where the latter entreated the unhappy Italian girl to allow herto dress the wound in her shoulder, which was far deeper and moreserious than she had acknowledged to Zappa; but she refused allassistance.
"No," she said; "no hand but mine shall tend the wound which he hasgiven; and it matters but little, for I feel that the clouds of mydestiny are gathering over me, and that very soon the storm will burstto overwhelm me."
But her will was more powerful than her frame, and as she spoke she sankdown on the divan, and would have fallen to the ground, had not Ada andMarianna ran to support her. Overcome with agitation and loss of blood,she had fainted, and taking advantage of the opportunity, they placedher on a couch, and while they applied restoratives, they bathed thewound, and tried to staunch the blood. She gave signs at length oflife; but hers was no ordinary faint, and for hours did she continue inthat state, wavering on the verge of death. As Ada herself, fevered andweary, sat by the side of her friend, she felt almost equally overcomewith alarm and anxiety for the fate of her lover. What could havebecome of him? Had Paolo proved treacherous, and, afraid of hisrecovery, spirited him away, and cast him over the cliffs? or was shewronging the young Italian, and had he not, mistrusting the mercy of thepirate chief, concealed him in some secret place till his anger had wornoff? This she owned to herself was the most probable cause; but love,even on ordinary occasions, is full of doubt and fears, much more sothen had she reason for dread under the circumstances in which he wasplaced. While she believed Zappa was ignorant of who he was, shetrusted he was in no other danger than that resulting from his wound;but now that he was discovered, after the dreadful exhibition she hadwitnessed of the pirate's temper, she trembled at what might be hisfate. Why had she quitted him? she thought. Why had she not boldlyavowed who he was, and her love for him, and dared the pirate to injurehim? She had seen the successful effects Nina had produced by suchbehaviour on the daring outlaw--why had she not acted in the samemanner? She bitterly accused herself of having deserted him, of havingtrusted him to strangers, and, more than all, of being the cause of hisdeath. This thought gave her the most poignant grief, and she prayedthat if Heaven had ordained that he must thus die, she might be sparedthe misery of knowing it. Daylight surprised her still sitting by thecouch whereon lay the yet more unhappy Nina.
"And yet, compared to that poor girl's fate, mine is blessed indeed,"she thought, as she, watched those pallid features, on which anexpression of acute pain still rested. "She staked all for love, andhas found the idol she madly worshipped turned into a demon, who shefeels will destroy her. She, too, has an accusing conscience to keephappiness at a distance. She remembers that she burst asunder the bondsof duty, that she caused the death of a fond parent; while I, throughHeaven's mercy, have never been subject to the temptation to create formyself a retrospect so dreadful."
It would be well, indeed, if all in a position likely to read thesepages would remember, as did Ada Garden, when they are subjected tomisfortune or suffering, that there are thousands around them in a far,far worse condition, deprived of all that can make life of value,without hope in this world or the next, and men they would never dare toarraign the dispensation of Providence, by which they receive theinfliction from which they suffer, and would feel that even thus theyare blessed above their fellows. Poor Ada saw that Marianna stillslept, and, fearful lest Nina should require assistance, she was herselfafraid of retiring to rest, though weariness made her head fallfrequently on her bosom. At length she was aroused by a gentle knock atthe door, and little Mila entered the room. She was evidently full ofsomething which she wished to communicate, and told a long story, not aword of which Ada could understand. So eager had she been, that she didnot perceive the condition to which Nina was reduced, believing that shewas still asleep from simple fatigue, but her eye falling on her, sheburst into loud lamentations of grief, which very nearly awoke her fromthe lethargy into which she had fallen. It was the means, however, ofawaking Marianna, by whose aid she was able to make the little girlcomprehend the importance of seeking out Paolo, and bringing him toattend on his sister. She was absent nearly two hours, but at lengthreturned, accompanied by the Italian. Eager as Ada was to gain tidingsof Fleetwood, she forbore to ask him any questions till he had recoveredfrom the state of agitation into which he was thrown by seeing thecondition of his unhappy sister.
"You need not tell me who has done this deed," he muttered, in a hoarsevoice, as he bent over her. "I knew it would come to this--I knew, whenweary of her, he would cast her aside as a child its broken toy, orwould thus destroy her in his mad passion. Yet it would have beenkinder had he struck deeper, and thus ended her misery with a blow. Ihave remained near her--I have watched over her, ill-treated anddespised as I have been,--that, when this should be her fate, though Icould not shield her from it, I might yet avenge her death. Yes, mysweet Nina, indifferent as you may deem me, I love you deeply."
"But, Signor Paolo," said Ada, not knowing how long he might continue inthis strain, "your sister is still alive, and I trust that by the aid ofyour skill, her wound may neither be mortal nor of much consequence."
"Not mortal, lady," he said, bitterly; "and yet, I tell you, it wouldhave killed her had it but scratched the skin. It is the spirit withwhich that dagger was cast will destroy her far quicker than the wound."
Ada now entreated him to examine into his sister's condition; and atlength, grown more calm, he set skilfully about his office, and heconfessed that, if fever did not set in, the wound was of slightimportance.
When he was at liberty, Ada at last asked him to give her tidings ofFleetwood; but he denied all knowledge of him, saying, that he had lefthim, with Raby watching him, at the fisherman's hut, and that on hisreturn, both were gone, and that he could nowhere discover them.
Mila, now having an interpreter, came forward with her version of thestory. She said she had heard that their chief had, on quitting thetower, come down to the bay in a state of passion, in which he had neverbefore been seen, at the non-appearance of the two other prisoners, whomhe vowed he would execute the moment they were discovered; that he hadcaused diligent search to be made for them in every direction, with thesame want of success, till, at last a small boat belonging to the _Zoe_was found to be missing, in which it was, consequently, supposed theyhad escaped.
"Thank Heaven!" ejaculated Ada, with a gleam of joy on her countenance,which showed how much her heart was relieved. "Oh, Signor Paolo, youknow not how grateful I am to you for your generous assistance in thematter."
"Do not thank me, lady, nor believe that I knew of, or had any hand inthe escape of your countrymen, if indeed they have escaped, of which Iwould entreat you not to be too sanguine," he replied; but, seeing thereaction his words were producing, he added, "and yet, remember, I haveno reason to suppose that they are not in a place of safety. More Icannot say--and I beseech you not to ask me."
"But I have not told you all," interrupted little Mila, who guessed thathe was no longer translating what she had said. "The moment the chieffound that the boat was gone, he ordered as many men as she can carry togo on board the _Zoe_, and he himself accompanied them. She immediatelyset sail in pursuit, and they say that there is no doubt of the littleboat being overtaken; and that even were he to meet the larger boatswhich made the attack on the island, the mistico will, without doubt,sink them all, and destroy everybody in them."
Paolo translated to Ada what Mila said, and the account again renewedher fears for Fleetwood's safety, though still she did not allow hope toabandon her.
It may seem that the Italian would have acted a more judicious part, hadhe not given the latter information; but he was unhappily himselfinfluenced by two motives; the one right, and good, and generous--thespontaneous result of his better nature; the other arising from hisyielding to temptation, which was selfish, mad, and wicked. The firstprompted him to run e
very personal risk to save his rival from thepirate's anger; the other made him wish for his death, and eager todeprive him of the love of the fair English girl, whom, he still fanciedhe might save from Zappa's power, and win her for himself.
For the present, Paolo had a holy and absorbing employment for his mind,in tending his unhappy sister, who, under his judicious care, recovered,sooner than Ada had expected, from the effect of her wound, though shesaw, too truly, that her words were verified, and that the weapon hadstruck deeper than the eye could reach.
Ada was now confined completely to the upper room of the tower, bothbecause she would not quit her friend, and that she might avoid any riskof encountering Zappa, who had taken up his abode in the lower part ofit. Paolo was her only means of knowing what was going forward in theworld without, and she felt an unwillingness to hold more communicationwith him than was absolutely necessary; indeed, nothing he said coulddispel her fears.
The _Zoe_, it appeared, had been out all day; but an ominous silence hadbeen kept as to the result of her expedition. Some said she hadovertaken the boat, and brought back the prisoners; others, that thepirate had, in his rage, ordered the guns to be pointed down on her, andsunk her, with them on board; while, again, some asserted that theprisoners had not escaped from the island at all, and that they wereconcealed somewhere in it.
This conflicting evidence was little calculated to alleviate heranxiety; but her heart was fresh and young--her health and spirits wereunbroken, and the air which was wafted through her casement was brightand pure, and she still hoped on for the best. Meantime the pirateswere not idle; and she observed from her window, that they were engagedall day long in strengthening and improving the fortification of thecastle, as well as those on the other side of the harbour. They threwup embankments, also, across the neck of land which joined the rock onwhich the castle stood, to the right of the island, and planted guns todefend the approach to it, as also a whole line along the cliff, whichoverlooked the entrance to the harbour.
Provisions of all sorts were got in from every part of the island, andhuts were erected, in which to store them; for the men, themselvesaccustomed from their youth to the roughest life, cared not for shelter,so that there was little chance of their being compelled, by famine, toyield.
Nothing, indeed, was neglected, which might enable them to defend theirstronghold against any force sent against it.
The _Sea Hawk_ was also carefully refitted, and the two misticoes madeready for defence or flight.
The _Zoe_ was again sent out to reconnoitre. She had been absent fortwo days, and the pirate began to be alarmed for her safety, and toargue that the enemy were probably approaching, and that she had falleninto her hands. All was, consequently, activity and excitement. Thecrew of the _Sea Hawk_ went on board to man her, and those of theislanders destined to garrison the castle hurried up there with theirarms ready for action. At length, a sail was discerned approaching theisland, and she was soon pronounced to be the _Zoe_. Nearer and nearershe drew to the land, till there was no doubt of her identity, and asshe entered the harbour, she was warmly greeted by those on shore, whohurried down to learn the news she brought. Her crew reported that theyhad visited the island when the English brig-of-war had last been seen,but she was not there, nor could they gain any tidings of her; but thatthey had, on the following day, when standing to the southward, made outthree sails, which, from the squareness of their yards, they conjecturedto be men-of-war, and that they were standing on a bowline to theeastward, with the wind at north, but that they deemed it imprudent toapproach nearer to ascertain further particulars.
This information prevented Zappa from taking a cruise in the _Sea Hawk_,as he had been intending, both to gain further intelligence of theenemy, and to pick up a few prizes to satisfy the impatience of hispeople, who began to murmur at the length of time which had passed sincethey had been engaged in what they considered useful activity, as wellas to replace the property he had lost by the burning of his tower.
Ada had not neglected to inquire for the prisoners who had so severelysuffered in her cause, and, though not allowed to communicate with them,she learned from Paolo that they were not treated with any unusualseverity, farther than being confined in a chamber under ground, wherevery little light or air could penetrate, and that he believed theirlives were in no danger.
Nina never spoke of the dreadful night when she had first felt thefierceness of her husband's anger; but her sunken eye, her hollow voice,and faded cheek, showed what the effect had been, though, when she methim, she tried to smile as of yore, and to attempt to win him to hisbetter mood.
His followers, however, remarked that an ominous change had come overhim, and that his mind at times seemed wavering on its throne.
The unhappy Paolo still nourished in silence his love for Ada, and dayby day he allowed it to increase, till he could scarcely conceal hisfeelings in her presence.
It was night, and he stood where he had spent many an hour, on the cliffbeneath her window. No moon was in the sky, and the stars wereconcealed by a canopy of clouds which hung over the sea, and the windmoaned amid the rocks and ruined buildings with a melancholy tone wellconsonant to his feelings.
Suddenly the perfect silence which had existed was broken by loud,terrific cries; the roar of cannon--the rattle of musketry--the cheers,and shrieks, and fierce imprecations of men striving in deadly combat;where had lately reigned silence and darkness, all was now the wildestconfusion and uproar, and lighted up with the blaze of the death-dealingmusketry.
The pirate rushed by, and entered Ada's tower, giving orders to hisfollowers, the meaning of which no sooner did Paolo understand, thanexclaiming, "Now is the time, or she is lost to me for ever," he hurriedafter him.