o separate her from the pirate for ever, by informing her,
though at the risk, I knew, of blasting her happiness, of his true
character; but yet, signora, I knew that the evil day must come, and
that, when he deserted her, I might not be by to protect her.

"I had brought a considerable sum of money with me, which I had
concealed about my person for any emergency, and with it I bribed two
men of the village on the opposite side of the bay, to prepare a boat,
in which, with their aid, I hoped to reach either the main land, or one
of the larger islands, or to get on board some vessel which would convey
us to some civilised place, whence I might find the means of reaching
Italy. I waited for an occasion when Zappa should have gone on one of
the piratical expeditions he was in the habit of taking, and when,
according to custom, he would have compelled me to accompany him. To
avoid this I had planned to feign illness, and, as soon as I saw the
preparations making for embarking, I pretended to be seized with a
dangerous sickness. He expressed great regret, and so convinced me that
he regarded me with affection, that I felt some qualms of conscience at
deceiving him, stained, though I knew him to be, with a thousand crimes.
He even delayed his departure, and I saw it would be necessary to
pretend to recover to get him off.

"The night at last came, in which the enterprise was to be attempted. I
left my room, to which I was supposed to be confined by illness, and,
going down to the bay, I found the boat and the men in readiness. I
then returned to my sister's tower, whence I bore her trembling with
alarm, and overwhelmed with grief at the thoughts of quitting the man
whom she so fatally loved, we safely reached the boat. We were not
observed, for no one suspected us, and we launched forth into the deep.
I had arranged for an ample supply of provisions, and I had previously
carried down the means of sheltering my sister from the weather; so we
were prepared for a long voyage. For three days we steered to the west
and south, with the sea calm, and the wind favourable and moderate,
passing only small islands, where the men assured me we should have no
chance of assistance. By this calculation, it would take us two days
more before we could reach the main land; when, on the fourth day, as
the morning broke, I discerned a vessel standing towards us. As she
drew nearer, my horror, as well as that of the islanders, may be
su