Beadle's Dime Library No. 316 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. Lafitte’s Lieutenant. 17 borne the character of a cold and haughty beauty, by those gentlemen who, themselves the idolized of fashion, and distingnished for their beauty of person, in vain essayed to make an impression upon her heart, What triumph then for our youthful hero! to move through the first glance of her eye upon him, the noble maiden hitherto insensible to the passion of crowded coteries. But to the impression he had made upon her heart he was a stranger, as well as she to the emotion she had caused in his bosom. If they had elevated their eyes on their introduction, they would have discovered the power each had so suddenly obtained over the other in one another’s conscious faces. There was one observer, however, whom the effect did notescape. This was the Countess Constanza, Her observing woman’s eye detect- ed in both the secret neither of the two would have confessed to themselves; and a smile of rratified feeling passed like sunshine across her ovely countenance. “We should be happy tohave you and your daughter, General McDonald, remain a few days with us,” said the countess. ‘I will en- deavor to render her visit agreeable; and the count will do his best to entertain you and other gentlemen of your suit.” “You are very kind.” answered General Mc- Donald, courteously, “ but my mission here is of so sad a nature, that I must beg to be excns- ed from any participation in social pleasures; else the hospitalities of a family Iso much esteem would be gratefully accepted by me as by my daughter, I[t is, moreover, important that we should at once return, having so unexpectedly and with so little trouble performed our mis- sion, to the Minerva frigate, which is under the necessity of making the best of its way to Eng- land, being destined for another service as soon as she reaches Portsmouth,” “It would give us great happiness to have = our guests,” answered the count; “ but, ing a seaman myself, I know the importance that ships-of-war should lose no time in any service they may be upon.” ‘You were a captain in the French service, I believe, sir?’ said Captain Stewart, “ Yes, sir. The last frigate I commanded was Le Sultan,” “That is the name of the ship that captured the notorious Lafitte,” said General McDonald, ‘* was it not?” ‘*T was just about to make the same remark,” said Captain Stewart. The count turned pale and with difficulty sup- pressed the feelings that this allusion—so nnex- yt by him, and to which he bad thought- essly exposed himself—awakened in him. Theodore, who was standing a little back from the group, near the door of the cabin, also started almost with an exclamation. His thoughts were upon Miss McDonald in bewild- ering confusion, while he dared not lift his eyes to her face where she sat o ite to bim and not far distant, very industriously tracing out with her eyes the figure on the Turkish carpet of the cabin. But at the question of General McDonald, he started. It was witb an exclamation of painful regret, At the movement and sound, she raised her eyes to his face, with a look of surprised in- quiry. His eyes encountered hers. With a look of touching distress—of the most exquisite suf- fering—be covered his face with his bands, and dropped his head upon his breast. The act was instantaneous as it was remarkable. He in- stantly reflected upon its strangeness; and re- moving his hands he lifted his face, and dy her looks be saw he had been observed. Her glance, at first one of surprise, was now touching and full of pity. He felt its full force; and the con- sciousness of sympathy where but a moment be- fore, his feelings bad been of despair, came like balm upon his spirit. His sudden emotion had not been so much at the question he heard as at the associations con- nected with it in reference to himself. He had been dwelling at the instant he beard it upon the roy Higgen and pride of loving and be- ing beloved by the fair creature before bim. His heart was fast becoming filled with a gal- lery of beauteous and happy pictures in every one of which his fancy painted the form and face of the beautiful being in whose presenee he stood. The vame of * Lafitte,” fell like a light- ning stroke shivering all these bright visions, and he saw himself instead of the honored lov- er, the despised and condemned outlaw. This feeling rushed upon his heart and bad drawn from him the exclamation which had attracted her attention to him. Her glance of commis- eration melted bis soul. ‘‘ But,” thought he, “she pities me because she is good and I suffer! But if she knew the cause Of my anguish that awakens her pity, bow soon would she abhor me!” The emotion of Theodore had not been ob- served by any other person present save the countess, who sympathized equally with hira and her husband, The count’s embarrassment bad been remarked only by General McDonald, who attributed it to the sudden recollection of sanguinary conflict. At this moment Captain iuennox entered the cabin. As he passed Theo- dore, the latter at once recogniz:d him. Instead of giving way to the feelings awakened by this recognition he assumed a coolness that he was far from feeling; but he saw the necessity of being calm; and not by self-exposure, putting seen se of his agency in the past into men’s minds. ‘‘AmI guilty then—am I a wretch like this Elliot, that I should thus hang my head? No! I will be free and open with innocence and in- tegrity of character to sustain me. I am not unworthy—why then should I feel so? This lovely angel has pitied my anguish! Perhaps if she knew all she would not despise me! I will be firm.” His face manifested forth the resolution of his spirit. He stood up proud andcalm. Miss McDonald was surpri at the sudden change in him, and wondered at it. Each moment she became more deeply interested in him. He filled her thoughts and caused her heart to beat with agitation. ‘Shall we get under way to-night, gentle- men?” asked Captain Lennox. ‘‘The moon gives light enough to let her drift.” ** We will be on deck ina moment and con- sult with you, Captain Lennox,” answered Gen- eral McDonald, “‘as | am at this moment inter- ested in Count phy whom I desire to give me the particulars of his capture of the pirate, Lafitte. He commanded the frigate which cap- tured him.” pe soe Lennox bowed to the count, and said: ‘You did the sea service, sir, in taking that pirate. I remember hearing of your action and capture, as a very desperate affair.” ‘*Tt was,” answered the count briefly. ‘‘He was a daring man, fearless, intelligent, and a rough seaman. Ihave reason to know that. Six years ago, last June, I was cruising to windward, in this very brig for the purpose of intercepting him; having learned that he was hovering between Kingston and St. Domin- go. I had been cruising twenty days, when, one morning, the man aloft discovered a sus- penous sail running in-shore, not far from ingston. Iran in for her and soon made ber out to be a very large armed schooner, rakish and taunt, answering the description of Lafitte’s schooner, the Gertrude!” ‘‘An unusual name for a pirate to give his vessel,” remarked General McDonald. ‘It is said he gave her the name in memory of some female he loved whose preference for another drove him to piracy,” ‘Are you ill, my lord count?” exclaimed General McDonald. ‘* No—it is past! a feeling—a sensation! It is gone away. Excuse me, messieurs!” Theodore stood firm and rigid, a every feeling. His face with the effect was stern. Miss McDonald, interested in the nar- rative of Captain Lennox and in the emotion of the count, did not observe it. The countess had risen to fly to her husband; but at an ex- pressive look from him reseated herself, ‘“‘He saw us and ran,” continued Captain Lennox. ‘“‘The wind was blowing a six-knot trader, and for that whole day we had a beauti- ful chase. We beat her before the wind, when she hauled and ran for the south side of Cuba. By great effortsand setting every pocket- handkerecbief we had on board, I cut er off from the shore, and brought him to action after a chase of thirty leagues. Well, sbe crippled us as 1 was laying her to board, and beat us off and got clear. At one time we were within half pistol-shot, and I could distinctly see Lafitte on bis quarter-deck. He had a way of curling his handsome mustache about his fiuger, and he was at his pastime whenever he stood still dur- ing the action, aud I could see him distinctly with my glass. He was a devilish likely-looking fellow, not more than eight-and-forty, with a bold and dark countenance. His voice, when he gave orders to his men, rung like a trumpet. |. He wore a blue roundabout and white trowsers, and smoked a cigar the whole time, I never saw a fellow so cool. He worked his guns and his vessel with the most thorough seamansbip, and his men seemed drilled to the most severe discipline. There stood by his side all the while, when he was not passing bis orders forward to the crew, a slender, handsome youth about seventeen, as cool and fearless as his captain, Some of our men said it was a female in dis- guise; but his features were manly and bold, and I heard his voice which was thatof a young man, He seemed quite as indifferent to the round-shot that were flying about his ears as Lafitte, It took us twenty-four hours to repair damages, You did the world service, Sir Count, in capturing bim,” Count D’Osley bowed. It would be difficult to detect the emotions that agitated Theodore’s bosom during this recital. His previous resolu- tion to remain firm, partly prevented bim from betraying his participation in that scene so viv- idly deseribed by the captain. ‘Did you have much difficulty in effecting the capture of this deenersdo, Count D’Oyley?” inquired General McDonald, wholly unsuspi- cious of any connection between the count’s reeent emotion and the subject of conversation. “I fell in with bim off Havana, and chased him in toward the land. He ran for the port, but fell to leeward and grounded near the shore. After a short action, I captured him and burned bis vessel, his crew mostly leaping to the land.” “He fell by your sword, Monsieur Count?’ observed Captain Stewart, interrogatively. ‘** Yes,” answered the count, speaking with difficulty. ‘‘ But, gentlemen, if I am moved by aliusion to the subject, I beg you will excuse me,” be added, with some impatience. ‘“ Its reminiscence is painful to me. At the time I captured Lafitte, he bad received a pardon from the United States Government and had done With piracy, He was at the moment on his way to one of bis rendezvous, for the honorable purpose of removing treasures he had deposited there and restoring them to theirowners. In capturing him I prevented the fulfillment of this good intention, and, in treating bim as a irate, virtually did away the benefits resulting rom the executive on. The death of La- fitte is, therefore, an event that will ever be regretted. by me,” ‘‘ Nay, nay, dear count,” said General Mc- Donald. ‘‘ This feeling should not weigh with you. The pardon of the President of the United States could extend only to citizens of his Gov- ernment,” “‘ Lafitte was a native-born American.” “Therefore the pardon he received could only avail him while he remained within the juris- diction of his President. It was not a pardon from any of the other Powers he had outraged by bis piracies, When he fell into the hands of either of these Powers on the bigh seas, they were bound to treat bim asan outlaw. You, in command of a French frigate, were so fortu- nate as to encounter and take bim. You did right. Nay, to have done otherwise would have made you amenable to your Government, to the laws of those nations not a party to the pardon,” “Your argument is doubtless correct,” an- swered Count D’Oyley, calmly. ‘** And so far from pecognising his pardon, the British Government had a greater reason to ursue him to extremity than any other nation, use his pardon was granted on condition that he turned his arms against British bearts. He was both our foe and an outlaw. In virtue of this pardon he fought in the battle of New Orleans against our arms, Howdol know that my brother, Lord Clarence, who now lies on deck, did not receive his death-wound from this pardoned pirate’s own hand? No, sir. England acknowledges no pardon of that nature. If fortune bad not given bim into your hands, the seas would have been swept by British cruisers to pursue and take him.” “At this moment,” said Captain Stewart, ** such is the resentment of the British Govern- ment against Lafitte’s men, that there is still an existing proclamation offering a hundred ounds apiece for the head of every one that can roved to have sailed with him.” t this extraordinary crisis of the conversa- tion, all present were startled bya cry full of anguish and thrilling to the very soul, As they turned, Theodore was seen lying insensible upon the stairs of the cabin by which he had been standing. CHAPTER XIII, THEODORES CONFESSION, Tue effort made by Theodore, in the trying situation in which be found himself placed on board the brig, during a conversation in which he bimself was so fatally interested, had becn too much for him. Tbe calm stern aspect of his countenance was but the index of an egitated bosom. And when the assertion made by Cap- tain Stewart fell like a thunder-clap upon bis ears, the anguish of bis soul found vent in an irresistible outcry, and as he uttered it he sunk unnerved at the foot of the AA acinar? The cry of anguish startled all present. Miss McDonald echoed it involuntarily, and with clasped hands remained fixed to ber seat gazing upon him as he lay pale and almost insensible, The countess fled toward bim and placing her hand upon bis forehead, whispered: ‘‘ Be calm, my Theodore! Be firm! This weakness may be fate! !” He lifted his melancholy eyes to hers with an effort to smile his gratitude, The count was also instantly by his side holding him by the band. Both of these dear friends could from the bottom of their hearts sympathize with him. They felt for him as ope with him!—They knew all he suffered. General McDonald and Captain Stewart looked on with surprise and anxiety. Captain Lennox had the moment before return- ed to his duties on deck, ** He should be bled,” observed Captain Stew- art. ‘‘ Fortunately there is a surgeon’s mate in the brig.” ‘“‘ No, messieurs,” remarked thecount quickly. ** He will soon be over it.” ‘It is the closeness of the cabin, ps,” said Miss McDonald earnestly; betraying in the — of her voice the deep interest she felt in im, ‘*He is not well of late,” said the countes:, catching joyfully at her words. ‘“Ts vour son subject to those attacks, sir?” asked General McDonald gazing upon Theodore who, perfectly conscious, was still unable to cComicbooks.co