mands, and, from that moment, you lose my love, valueless
it may be, and you lose all hopes of gaining that of any other human
creature whose love is worth the winning, and who knows of your
misdeeds; and you bring down the sure and rapid vengeance of an outraged
Heaven on your defenceless head."

The pirate at first heard her thus boldly speak with astonishment, and
then with rage, which increased till it passed his control. His hand
had been clutching his dagger; and, as she uttered these last words,
almost, it is to be hoped, before he himself was aware of what he was
about, he hurled it with terrific violence at her, uttering a howl like
that of a tiger. The weapon flew from his hand; it wounded her delicate
neck, and stuck quivering in the rough planking of the door. She
neither screamed nor sank to the ground, but stood, as before, unmoved
as a marble statue, though her cheek blanched to a yet more pallid hue
than before, while the red stream issued from the wound, and ran down
her bosom. Ada sprang forward to support her, but she waved her off.

"Stay," she said, "I must yet speak again. That unmanly blow has done
more than pierce the frail body, it has cut asunder ties which I thought
would have endured till life became extinct; it has unriveted links
which I believed would have survived, in strength and beauty, the decay
even of the cold grave; but I have been taught this night to abhor the
false idol I once worshipped so devotedly; and now I shall welcome
death, come when it may, as my only release from misery. Ah! that wound
would have been less unkind had it ended at once the bitter mockery of
life!"

Even the callous pirate, as he saw the blood flowing from the pure neck
which had been so often bent in fondness over him, felt a pang of
regret, and a dread of the consequences, not unmixed with admiration of
a spirit so determined as she exhibited.

"Pardon me, Nina!" he exclaimed, springing towards her. "I knew not
what I was about. I would not injure you, girl, for worlds! Say you
forgive me--say you are not hurt, and I will do all you desire with
regard to these men."

"The wound is but a scratch, as you may see," she answered, calmly,
keeping him off with her hands, and still standing before the door.
"That will quickly heal. My forgiveness can be but of little value to
you, but you have it, and my petition is, that you do not injure these
men."

"You have preserved their lives for this n