ce you come, and why you now come to seek me."

"I am Nina Montifalcone,--some time your wife, whom you oft have told
you loved," she replied, in a tone of deep dejection. "What I soon
shall be, the greedy worm may best tell."

Her voice recalled him to his senses, though her words seemed strange.

"Nina," he exclaimed, "you overheard my vain ravings when I thought you
had fallen a victim to yon devouring flames; but think no more of them,
and tell me by what miracle you escaped from the tower, before the
flames burst forth--for afterwards, no power could have saved you."

"I had gone to comfort and succour the unfortunate, those whom your
injustice has made prisoners in this island, and I sought you even now
to plead for them," she answered boldly; the tone of meek sorrow with
which she had before spoken being no longer discernible.

"You take me unawares, and would work on me at a weak moment, Nina," he
replied. "But know you, girl, that the persons of whom you speak are
spies, come here in disguise to work my destruction? Ah! you look
surprised, incredulous! Yes, these men--these pretended Maltese--are no
other than Englishmen, belonging to a ship of war lying at no great
distance from this island, for the express purpose of capturing my
vessel, my gallant _Sea Hawk_, if they can fall in with her; and I have
not told you all--their leader is the captain himself, the very man to
whom that fair English girl, of whom you are so foolishly jealous, is
betrothed. I knew this, I say, from the first; but I pretended
ignorance, for I wished to discover who were their accomplices among
those I trusted. He even now lies dead or dying in the bay below, and I
left the fair girl with him, that she might know I did not kill him; but
I tell you, Nina, if he were to recover, he should not live to escape,
and to bring destruction on me. If he dies now, it is through his own
folly, and no one can accuse me of having slain him; so, except you
would wish to make his blood rest on my head, do not pray for his
recovery."

"Oh! you would not do so black a deed--you would not slay an innocent
man because he came to regain the bride of whom you had deprived him!
for I feel assured that for no other object did he visit this island;
and that should he recover, were you to give her to him, and allow him
and those who came with him to depart, he would promise never to molest
you, or to take advantage in any way of the knowledge he has