ong deferred,
or the toil, beyond capacity, induced by the desire to raise the needful
ransom of the loved ones rent from them by these Algerine corsairs.
"The heart knoweth its own bitterness." None but themselves could know
or tell the awful feelings, or the still more dreadful want of feeling,
that caused these wretched ones to look with glazed eyes of total
indifference on the wonderful scenes that were enacted around them that
day.

Among the released captives, of course, were our friends of the Rimini
family.

One of these was seen going about the decks, glancing earnestly and
quickly into faces, as if in search of some one.

It was Mariano seeking for Angela! He was closely followed by Ted
Flaggan and Lucien.

"Depind on it, they've kep' her back," said Ted.

"I fear they have," said Lucien.

Mariano said nothing, but went straight to the officer in charge of the
deck, and demanded a body of men to go ashore and recover the Sicilian
captives.

The case was brought before the chief, who at once granted Mariano's
request, and sent a party on shore.

Arrived at the palace they made a formal demand that the sisters and the
child should be delivered up.

At first Omar pretended ignorance on the point. Then he suddenly
recollected two female slaves who had been forgotten, and sent for them,
but they were not those for whom Mariano sought! At last, seeing that
there was no help for it, he gave orders that Paulina Ruffini, and her
child and sister, should be given up.

Need we say that Mariano kept pretty close to Angela after that, and
that Angela did not by any means object? We think not!

Besides these captives there were a few others whom the Dey endeavoured
to retain, but Lord Exmouth was inexorable. He insisted on every
individual being set free, and spared no pains to ascertain that none
were left behind. Of course it is more than probable that some
unfortunates were so carefully concealed as to escape detection, still,
as far as it lay in the power of man to act, this part of the Admiral's
duty was thoroughly performed.

Thereafter, having accomplished its object, the British fleet left the
stricken city, and the freed captives were ultimately returned to their
homes.

Thus at last, in 1816, after the lapse of centuries of murder, rapine,
and robbery on the high seas, did the Pirate City receive a fatal blow,
from which it never completely recovered. It revived a little, indeed,
in afte