CHAPTER III.
_Mary Hamilton and Ellen Armstrong Captured and conveyed to the Pirate Palace. Contemplated Escape--Frustrated by Blackbeard. Ellen afterwards conveyed on board the Pirate Brig._
In spite of their entreaties, the females were ruthlessly torn away from their companions, and conducted by these remorseless ruffians to the pirate"s palace. Mary then thought, that the beauty and loveliness of the island, which, but a few hours previous she would not have exchanged for all England, she would now gladly quit for the meanest spot on Briton"s Isle.
Sweet Ellen murmured to herself that the horrible forebodings she had in reference to the island, were but the precursor of what might be expected. The grandeur and sublimity of its scenery, its isolated position, being surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic--the unnatural music and noises, all conspired to fill the mind of this young girl with the idea that something was about to transpire of no ordinary nature,--and neither was she deceived.
A great change however, had been wrought in the course of the last few hours, upon the thoughts and feelings of our two fair captives, a change which had caused reality to usurp for a time at least, the place of romance, and constrained them to gaze with a vacant look upon the superbly natural beauties of the island glen. Therefore with thoughts concentrated upon their immediate personal prospects and fruitless conjectures as to the complexion of their coming fate, the fair captives mechanically followed the footsteps of their guides, who when they had reached the bottom of the hill, suddenly stopped before the open door of a long building which had been ingeniously constructed of bamboo and other light materials well suited for the covering of a cool place of shelter, under the heat of a tropical sun. There was nothing farther, worthy of remark about its exterior appearance, with the exception of its being so thickly covered on all sides by the luxuriant and evergreen foliage of the surrounding trees, as to preclude it from being seen from the tops of the adjacent hills, but its interior contained four large apartments, two of which had been fitted up in a manner luxurious, and even elegant.
Into one of these two rooms, whose walls were decorated and hung round with the richest crimson drapery, and which was as richly furnished in every other respect, did the strange guides usher their fair prisoners, after which, they instantly retired, leaving our heroine and her companion to consult together as they might see fit upon their singular and mysterious situation.
"Do we dream dear Mary," exclaimed Ellen, us she gazed wildly around this strange apartment, "or are we laboring under the influence of some fairy spell of necromantic enchantment?"
"Would to Heaven, that it was so," exclaimed Mary, in reply, "but alas, it is not. For the present at least, dear Ellen, we are in the power of ferocious pirates, from whom, I hope we shall soon be released."
"How?" asked Ellen, hardly realizing what she said.
"Through the agency of our friends on ship-board" replied Mary.
"Oh yes, I recollect now," said Ellen. "My father and Arthur have gone on board our vessel, but I have seen nothing of Henry or Patrick, since we first landed upon this fatal spot. Where do you think they can be?"
"I have been trying to convince my mind of their safety, ever since we fell in with our cruel captors," answered Mary, "yet I cannot say that I have succeeded in so doing. From the top of some adjacent hill, they may have witnessed the scenes which transpired on the occasion of our capture, and concealed themselves in some of the fissures of the rocky cliffs, there to await a.s.sistance from the ship, or--"
"They may have been taken prisoners, by the pirates, as you call them,"
interrupted Ellen.
"Heaven forbid," exclaimed Mary earnestly. "But if that should be the fact," continued the fair girl, after a moment"s pause, "I feel greatly consoled by the hope that they, as well as ourselves, will find a speedy release from this horrible bondage."
"I"m sure it will not be Captain Rowland"s fault, if we are not very soon liberated," replied Ellen.
"You seem to be rather partial towards this Captain Rowland," Mary carelessly remarked.
"Partial, what mean you by that, Mary?" asked Ellen, as a slight blush overspread her beautiful features. "He has been very kind and attentive to all of us during our voyage, and such treatment requires, in my opinion, at least civility in return."
Before Mary could find time to reply to the words of her companion, the ears of both our fair captives were suddenly astonished by the sound of a female voice, singing in a sweet, low tone of touching melody the following words--
"Beware, beware, Of the false and fair, For many a n.o.ble form, Hides a heart within, Quite as full of sin, And as black as the midnight storm."
"This must be the very palace of enchantment," exclaimed Ellen, as the voice of the singer abruptly ceased, "where one could almost be led to forget their own personal ident.i.ty. But hark, I hear the strange voice again."
Ellen and her companion again listened in almost breathless silence as the invisible vocalist continued her song, thus:
"Beware, beware, For grief and care Broods over the youthful heart, And the chastening rod Of an Infinite G.o.d, His justice will soon impart."
Here the voice of the invisible songster again ceased, and although both Ellen and her companion listened long for its repet.i.tion, they listened in vain, for it was heard no more.
After a short interval of silence had elapsed, Mary Hamilton addressed her companion as follows--
"The thought has just entered my mind of attempting to escape from this strange and horrible place."
"I must own, dear Mary," replied Ellen, "that the place is strange enough to terrify a less romantic person than myself, still I think it far from being horrible. This room is almost as elegantly furnished as was my dear mother"s in London, and then only think of the delightful music which has so lately greeted our ears."
"Think too, of the horrid farce we have seen," continued Mary.--"Earnestly consider, dear Ellen, that we are in the power of pirates and murderers, whose motives for detaining us, cannot be any thing but evil, and then say if you will join me in making an attempt to escape."
"You talk of escaping from the pirate"s palace, as though it were the most easy and practicable thing in the world," exclaimed Blackbeard, who had abruptly entered the apartment from an inner room, and had stood unperceived behind the captives whilst Mary Hamilton had spoken the words quoted above.
Startled by the sudden and unexpected appearance of their strange, yet famous captor, our two maidens were at first awed into silence, but it was of short duration, for Mary Hamilton quickly gathered sufficient courage to enable her to answer the pirate"s words as follows:
"If it is not an easy thing for us to escape, surely you possess the power to make it so."
"True, I possess the power," replied the pirate, somewhat ironically, "yet for the present at least, I lack the inclination. So you must make yourselves as contented as you can here in my poor house, until I can make arrangements for your future government."
"Allow me to ask, sir, by what right it is that you, a person totally unknown to us, have forcibly abducted from their natural protectors, two poor females who never harmed you nor yours?"
"Believe me, Miss Hamilton," answered the pirate earnestly, "when I tell you that I have not acted in the manner of which you speak, without reason. But my motives and reasons, I shall take the liberty of explaining when and where I please."
"Were your motives such as would do honor to an angel," replied Mary, "it would not alter my opinion either of yourself or your actions. I believe you to be both a pirate, and murderer, and--"
"Stop, you have said enough," exclaimed Blackbeard, sternly. "If you do not fear the consequences of such rash speaking for yourself, know that I hold in my hand the power of life and death over thy betrothed lover."
"My worst forebodings are then realized," exclaimed Mary in a faltering tone, "and I must condescend to sue for mercy at your feet.--Mercy, not for myself, but for him who is far dearer to me than life."
"He is almost too dangerous a character to receive clemency at my hands," answered the pirate, "for his capture and that of his servant, has cost one of the bravest of my crew his life, therefore, according to our code of laws, which require blood for blood, he is answerable to immediate death. But the pardoning power still remains in my hands, and I am willing to spare him upon one condition."
"Name, oh name it," exclaimed Mary, eagerly.
"It is this," continued the pirate. "You must consent to marry Captain Rowland."
As these dread words fell into accents cold and calm upon her ears, the self possession which had distinguished her throughout the foregoing conversation, suddenly pa.s.sed away, and poor Mary Hamilton sunk utterly bereft of consciousness upon one of the richly cushioned seats which ornamented the apartment, while sweet Ellen Armstrong almost as terrified as her companion, looked vacantly around, and as if not comprehending the import of the pirate"s significant speech.
After gazing fixedly for a few moments upon the forms of the two fair creatures before him, Blackbeard stepped softly to the door from which he had made his ingress into the apartment, and in a low but distinct voice uttered the following words:
"Violette, come hither."
A moment or two of dead silence intervened, and then a dark complectioned but beautifully formed female entered the apartment, and stood before the pirate, who thus addressed her:
"Seest thou, Violette, that lady reclining upon yonder seat, with face as pale as death?"
Casting her eyes in the direction intimated by the pirate"s glance, she gave a nod of a.s.sent as he continued:
"I am about to leave this place for a short season, and in the meanwhile I wish to place this fair lady in your keeping."
"And her companion also?" asked Violette.
"No; she accompanies me."
"It is well," replied Violette, "your orders shall be faithfully obeyed."