nd to the
left under the cliffs, which, it must be remembered, was the direction
of the spot agreed on where the boat was to be in readiness. At length
they reached the black rock, alongside of which Fleetwood expected to
find her, and, to his great satisfaction, he saw that she was there; and
his friends directly after rose from her bottom, where they had
concealed themselves while waiting for his coming.

"We were alarmed for your safety, Captain Fleetwood," said Bowse,
leaping out to meet them. "We waited so long for you; but everything is
in readiness. If you will assist Miss Garden on board, I will take care
of Marianna. But who is this stranger with you?"

"One to whom I owe much," said Ada, stretching out her hand. "Farewell,
Signor Montifalcone, may Heaven reward you for what you have done for
me."

"Farewell, lady, and may you never know the grief I am doomed to bear,"
returned the Italian; and before Fleetwood, who would have thanked him,
could speak, he had retired to a distance; and as they quickly embarked,
and urged the boat from the shore, they could see him standing watching
them, still as a marble statue.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

"Thank Heaven, you are so far safe, dearest," said Fleetwood, as he
placed Ada in the stern sheets of the boat, by the side of Jack Raby,
who, it was arranged, should steer, while he took the stroke oar, his
companions pulling the others.

With heartfelt gratitude did Ada thank Heaven, for having thus far
conducted them in safety through the perils which surrounded them, and
implored protection for herself, and for the gallant men, her
deliverers, through those they had still to encounter.

They had well employed the time spent in waiting, by carefully muffling
the oars, so that they should make no noise as they worked in the
rullocks, and it was now only necessary to take care to let the blades
fall into the water, and to draw them out again with as little splash as
possible.

Marianna sat opposite to her mistress; and if not the most delighted of
the party at the success which had hitherto attended them, she, at all
events, gave more vehement expression to her feelings; and Raby had to
apply his former remedy to keep her quiet.

At a sign from Fleetwood, the boat was sent gliding off from the rock;
but instead of at once steering out into the bay, she was kept close in
shore, under the shadow of the cliffs: the blades of the oars just
clearing the sand as they w