ship, I overheard
every syllable of the conversation which one day took place between the
apostate Ibrahim and yourself,--a conversation wherein you gave a
detailed account of all your proceedings at Florence, and in the course
of which you spoke feelingly of your sister Calanthe."

"Alas! poor Calanthe!" exclaimed Demetrius, in a mournful tone; "and is
she really no more?"

"Listen to me while I relate the manner in which I became aware of her
fate," said Nisida.

She then explained the treacherous visit of the grand vizier to the
cabin wherein she had slept on board the Ottoman admiral's ship--the way
in which the Ethiopian slave had interfered to save her--and the
conversation that had taken place between Ibrahim and the negro,
revealing the dread fate of Calanthe.

"Is it possible that I have served so faithfully a man possessed of such
a demon-heart?" cried Demetrius. "But I will have vengeance, lady; yes,
the murdered Calanthe shall be avenged!"

"And I too must have vengeance upon the proud and insolent vizier who
sought to violate all the laws of hospitality in respect to me,"
observed Nisida, "and who seeks to marry his sister, the low-born Flora,
the sister of the base renegade, to the illustrious scion of the noble
house of Riverola! Vengeance, too, must I have upon the wretch Antonio,
the panderer to my father's illicit and degrading _amours_--the
miscreant who sought to plunder this mansion, and who even dared to
utter threats against me in that conversation with his accomplice
Venturo, which you, signor, overheard in the streets of Florence. This
game wretch it is, too, who consigned my brother to the custody of
banditti; and though, for certain reasons, I deplore not that captivity
which Francisco has endured, inasmuch as it has effectually prevented
him from interesting himself on behalf of Flora Francatelli, yet as
Antonio was animated by vengeance only in so using my brother, he shall
pay the penalty due on account of all his crimes!"

"And in the task of punishing Antonio, lady," said Demetrius, "shall I
be right glad to aid--for did not the villain deceive me infamously in
respect to the dispatches which I sought to forward to Constantinople
when last I was at Florence? and, not contented with that vile
treachery, even plotted with his accomplice Venturo against my life."

"Vengeance, then, upon our enemies, Demetrius!" exclaimed Nisida. "And
this is how our aims shall be accomplished," she c