The greater part of the population of the island residing near the
harbour were assembled on the shores of the bay to enjoy, under the
shade of the high cliffs, the deliriously cool air of the evening, and
to welcome the return of their chief, whose mistico was seen approaching
from the westward.
There were old men and women, the elders and parents, as well as the
young men and maidens, who had come with happy hearts, to amuse
themselves with various light sports, but chiefly to dance their
favourite Romaika, which has been handed down to them from the earliest
days of their heroic ancestors, when it was known under the more classic
name of the Cretan or Doedalian dance.
Century after century has seen it danced by the youths and maidens of
successive generations, on the self-same spots--always the most
beautiful in the neighbourhood--both on the islands and on the main,
since the time when Greece was young and strong--the fit cradle of the
arts and sciences; when that literature was produced which will last as
long as the world exists; when those temples arose, and those statues
came forth from their native rock, which subsequent ages have never been
able to equal; when all that the human mind could conceive most elegant
had its birth; when her ships traversed all known seas, and her colonies
went forth to civilise the earth; when her sages gave laws to the world,
and a handful of her sons were sufficient to drive back thousands upon
thousands of the vaunted armies of the East; from those glorious epochs
to the time when, sunk in effeminacy and vice, despising the wisdom of
her ancestors, she fell under the sway of the most savage of the tribes
she had once despised--yet still, in abject slavery, while all that man
cared for was destroyed, the sports of their youth were not forgotten;
and what was learned in youth, the parents taught their children to
revive, as their only consolation in their misery and degradation.
Thus, Homer's description of the dance in his days would answer
perfectly, even to the very costume, for that danced in a remote island
of the Archipelago:--
"A figure dance succeeds:
A comely band
Of youths and maidens, bounding hand-in-hand;
The maids in soft cymars of linen drest;
The youths all graceful in the glossy waistcoat.
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"Now all at once they rise--at once descend,
With well-taught feet, now shaped in oblique ways,
Confusedly regular, the moving maze:
Now forth, at once, too swift for sight they spring,
And undistinguish'd blend the flying ring.
So whirls a wheel in giddy circle tost,
And rapid as it runs the single spokes are lost."
Among the spectators was Nina, and after much persuasion she had induced
Ada Garden to accompany her, with Marianna. Ada had done so after due
consideration, from believing that it would be better to appear as much
as possible at her ease; and by meeting the strangers, without appearing
in any way to recognise them, or to take interest in them, to disarm any
suspicions she thought it probable old Vlacco might entertain.
The veteran pirate had at first grumbled at allowing her to leave her
tower; but Nina silenced him by asserting that, during her lord's
absence, she had the chief command; and that if he would not obey, she
would complain of his cruelty and tyranny, and declare that he was no
better than a Turk.
Marianna was delighted at once more finding herself looking at a crowd,
and sadly wanted to go and join the dancers, though her mistress would
not allow her to do so; and even Ada herself felt her spirits rise under
the genial influence of others' happiness. She forgot that the
handsome, spirited youths she saw before her were beings brought up to
become robbers and murderers; and that the lovely maidens she gazed on
were taught to consider such deeds as justifiable and praiseworthy. She
saw in them, for the moment, only the descendants of the ancient Greeks;
and in form and feature, and even in dress, how slight the change.
Alas! that their own indolence and effeminacy should have reduced them
so low that they should become the slaves of despots, and thus have all
the vices inherent in a state of slavery. Nina and Ada did not venture
down into the bay among the crowd, but stood apart on a ledge, raised
some thirty or forty feet above the sands, at the entrance of the
ravine, where they could overlook the whole scene. The old fishermen
and their wives were seated in groups, either on the rocks under the
cliffs, or on seats formed of the spars and planks of the boats ranged
along the sands. The youths wore their gayest sashes, and their red
fezzes set jauntily on one side; and the maids their best cymars, with
their beautiful hair adorned with garlands of wild flowers, in rich
profusion, streaming down their backs.
Many of the girls were very lovely, with tall, graceful figures, and
their hair of auburn hue, which is as much prized now as of yore. The
music was primitive, consisting of pipes, such as Pan might have played
on, and stringed instruments like the guitar or violin. The musicians
were in appearance like the bards of old, ancient men, with white locks
and flowing beards; but they appeared, nevertheless, to reap as much
pleasure from the scene as the rest.
They had just begun to play as Nina and Ada reached the spot, and the
dancers had formed in line to commence their amusement. A pretty and
graceful girl, with a chaplet composed of flowers and shells, the spoils
of the sea and land, and a garland of the same nature hung like a scarf
across her shoulders, led off the dance; a handsome youth, with one hand
holding hers, and the other another girl's, came next, and so a chain
was formed of alternately a young man and a maiden. At first the leader
advanced with a slow and seemingly sedate pace, all following, in a
measured time, to the musician's solemn strain. By degrees, as the
music became more lively and animated, so did the movement of the
dancers increase in rapidity. First, the foremost girl led her chain of
dancers along the smooth sand at a rapid rate; then she suddenly turned,
and setting to her partner, flew off, and darted under the upraised arms
of those at the furthest extremity, dragging the rest after her; then
she twisted among the rocks, on the shore, and when weary of that
movement, joined her hand to that of the youth at the other end, and
commenced circling round and round at as rapid a rate as the feet of the
dancers could more. When all were panting and dizzy, suddenly she broke
the circle, and led off again in a line towards the sea, till she
reached the very brink, where the sparkling wavelets washed the shining
pebbles and many-tinted shells; and watching till the water receded, she
darted after it, and flew back before it caught her; though many who
were in honour bound to follow her, in vain hurried their steps before
the returning wave overtook them, amid the shouts of laughter of their
more fortunate companions. Nothing would, however, induce them to break
the indissoluble chain. Then she led them smiling and shaking their
heads as they went in review before their older friends, who were seated
as spectators, and the rest expected they were thus to visit all the
groups; off again she darted to chase the retreating wave, and then once
more to join hands in the lively wheel, and at last, overcome with their
exertion, they sank on the sands exhausted, though they quickly again
sprang up to renew their sport. Several other similar sets were formed
at the same time; one of which, composed of the younger people, was led
by little Mila; nor was it the least lively or joyous of them all.
Ada Garden looked anxiously around to discover whether Fleetwood and his
companions were there, and she soon perceived him and several other
persons in the costume of Maltese seamen, mixed among a number of the
islanders, who considered themselves too old to dance and too young to
sit quiet as spectators. Fleetwood descried her; he was afraid almost
to look towards her, lest any one might suspect him. Jack Raby was near
him, and he whispered to him to be prepared, should the people they were
with move in that direction, to recognise Marianna, and to rush up to
where she was standing. Ada watched them as they moved from place to
place, now talking with some of the old people, now with others, till at
last they reached a group below her. The moment was not lost. Master
Jack uttered an admirable imitation of a cry of joy, and commenced
scrambling directly up the cliff, in a way only a midshipman or a monkey
can scramble, towards Marianna. She also played her part exceedingly
well. She shrieked with joy, and bent over the cliffs, exclaiming in
Maltese,--
"My dear brother, my dear brother, where have you come from? Oh, I am
so delighted to see you!"
Jack answered in return with his choicest gibberish, which did perfectly
well to express all the sentiments of fraternal affection he was at that
moment experiencing; indeed, no one could have understood him had he
spoken Maltese, and few were listening even to what was said, they were
all too much occupied either with watching the dance, or the approach of
their chief's mistico, which was now seen just at the opening of the
mouth of the bay, and adding not a little to the picturesque beauty of
the scene. Raby had no little difficulty in getting up the cliff--he
had chosen so steep a place--and he was very nearly slipping all the way
down again, just as he had reached the edge of the ledge, but all served
to show the ardour of his affection. By a desperate effort he sprang up
and rushed into Marianna's arms, and she had no reason to complain of
his neglecting the promise his captain had made for him; and to do
Marianna full justice, she played the part of an affectionate sister to
admiration. No one would have suspected that they were not delighted to
meet after a long separation, and yet they had never, to their
knowledge, seen each other till that moment.
"Oh, my sister, I am so delighted to see you," exclaimed Raby. "And
now, Miss Garden, pray listen to me," and he gave Marianna another kiss
and a hug. "The captain has fixed on a boat to run off with, and we
shall easily be able to launch her, and will have her ready near those
rocks to the left there exactly at midnight, when he and I will be
waiting for you under your tower. He wants to know if that old rascal
of a pirate locks you up every night as he did us. Pretend to be
speaking to my sister here."
Marianna got another kiss. Perhaps, in that respect, Master Raby rather
overdid his part; but he was a young actor, and as his captain had
ordered him to do so, he was not to blame.
"I fear so," answered Ada. "Lady Nina will give him the key."
"If not, we must go the whole hog, as the Yankees say, and pick the
lock, or we shall have to lower you out of the window. We are not going
to be stopped by anything. You must prepare a line of some sort to haul
up a rope by, which we will bring in case of necessity. No one will
suspect us; for we have been working away at the mistico all day, and
she isn't off yet; in fact, we took care she shouldn't be, for there is
every prospect of a calm, and a pulling-boat will answer our purpose
much better. The pirates, if they trouble their heads about us, think
we are going to try and get away in the mistico; though my belief is,
they don't intend to let us; and I should not be at all surprised but
what they'll go this evening and rip off a few planks, or bore holes in
her bottom, to prevent our escaping, lest we should betray the position
of this island. However, Miss Garden, be of good cheer, whatever our
skipper--I beg pardon, Captain Fleetwood--undertakes is sure to be right
in the end."
"Tell your captain, Mr Raby, that I will be prepared," whispered Ada,
looking away from where he was standing. "Tell him, that I have no fear
for myself; but do try and caution him to be careful of himself; and
allow me also to thank you for your generous zeal in my service, and to
entreat you to be cautious."
"Oh, as for me, Miss Garden, I like the fun of the business," replied
the midshipman bluntly. "I would do anything, too, to serve the
captain; and as for him, he's never rash, and you must not think that
he, or any of us, wouldn't gladly risk ten times the danger we now run
to serve you. So now I must be off again, to tell my companions that I
have found my sister. There, Miss Marianna, I think I've kissed you as
much as the most affectionate of brothers would be expected to do--I'll
give you a few more when I come back."
And away sprang the light-hearted youth down the hill, and, getting back
to his companions, he appeared to be pointing out to them his
newly-found sister, and to be expressing, with animated gestures, his
delight at the discovery.
"It's all right, sir," he whispered to his captain; "Miss Garden isn't a
bit afraid, and will have a line ready to haul up a rope to her window,
if she cannot get out any other way. What shall I do now, sir?"
"Go back to your sister and try and learn where the chief pirate has
been, and gain any other information which may be useful," replied
Fleetwood. "Perhaps you will be allowed to remain altogether with her,
and if you can, do so; for you will be of the greatest service in
assisting Miss Garden to escape from the tower."
"With all my heart, sir. Would it be proper to give Miss Smaitch any
more kisses? It seems to please her," said the midshipman, with
apparent innocence, just as he was running off.
"Perfectly unnecessary, I should think," replied Fleetwood, almost
laughing at the mid's pretended simplicity, which, having held the same
irresponsible rank himself, he could fully appreciate. "You may overact
your part."
"No fear, sir--I'll be decorous in the extreme, and if you don't see me
again, suppose all goes right; I'll get shut up in Miss Garden's tower,
if I possibly can."
He did not wait for further directions, but scrambled up the cliff again
to where Marianna was standing, who, supposing that she was to receive
him as before, threw her arms round his neck and paid him off in his own
coin.
Nina, whether she believed in the relationship or not, took good care to
explain to the bystanders that the Maltese attendant had found a brother
among the shipwrecked crew of the mistico, and it all seemed so natural,
that no one doubted the statement. Even old Vlacco, who was generally
so wide awake that, in his own opinion, no one could take him in, was
completely deceived, and threw no difficulties in the way of Jack Raby's
accompanying Ada to the tower, when Nina requested that the brother and
sister might not be parted.
As Jack was very small for his age, he looked much younger than he
really was, and the old pirate, considering him a mere child, thought he
could do no harm, at all events; and should it be necessary to cut the
throats of the rest of the party, to ensure their not escaping, it might
be as well to save him, to make him a servant to the English lady. This
circumstance was of great advantage to Ada, as the lively conversation
of the young midshipman, whose buoyancy of spirit nothing could damp,
served to divert her mind from dwelling on the dangers of the attempt
about to be made to rescue her; and she was also able to learn from him
many of the events with which the reader is acquainted but of which she
had hitherto, of course, remained in ignorance.
While what we have been describing took place, the _Zoe_ was drawing
rapidly in with the land. The breeze was fair to carry her close to the
harbour's mouth, and then, having sufficient way on her, down came her
two tapering lateen sails, and she glided up to her well-known
anchorage. She was instantly surrounded with boats full of people,
anxious to know what adventures she had met with during her brief
cruise, and how she had weathered the storm the previous day. They soon
came back, and it was speedily noised abroad that some event of
importance had occurred, and much bustle and discussion took place in
consequence. Two wounded men were conveyed on shore to their own
cottages, or rather huts, and messengers were forthwith despatched in
search of Signor Paolo, to bring him to attend on them, for he was
nowhere to be found among the crowd on the shores of the bay.
Zappa himself was next seen to step into his boat, when the musicians
began to play their most lively airs, the dancers to dance their best,
and those who had firearms, to discharge them in his honour; the sharp
report, for they were all loaded with ball, echoing from cliff to cliff
around the bay. He stepped on shore with a brow less calm and a smile
less sweet than usual, and returned the salutations of his followers in
a manner less courteous than his wont, as he hurried on towards the
entrance of the ravine leading up to his abode. He stopped short on his
way, for his eye fell on Nina and Ada standing close together, and
talking like two friends long acquainted. He was much puzzled. He had
only been absent two days, and he was not aware that either of them knew
of the other's existence; though as it was no longer important,
according to his present policy, to keep them apart, the meeting did not
matter; and he little knew how soon similarity of misfortune makes
brothers and sisters of us all. He looked up, and made a bow to them as
he passed; but he paid them no further attention, and taking Vlacco's
arm, he led him up the ravine.
Poor Nina's heart sank within her. It was the first time he had treated
her with cold neglect and indifference. Ada Garden saw also that
something was wrong: she had observed the two wounded men landed from
the mistico, and she remarked the angry brow of the pirate; so she came
to the conclusion that he had been defeated in some skirmish or other,
and that, very probably, he was expecting the island to be attacked by
the Turks, as had been the case with others, when most of the population
had been put to the sword. She mentioned her fears to Jack Raby.
"I don't think it's anything very bad, for the young pirates and
piratesses are still dancing away as merrily as before," he answered.
"But I'll soon know all about it."
And once more he rejoined his friends, and exchanging a few words with
them, ran back to Marianna.
"It's a warmer matter than I thought; but still there is nothing to be
alarmed about, Miss Garden," he said, as soon as he had recovered his
breath. "The Greek officer, who is with us, hears from the people that
their chief had the impudence to go on board an English brig-of-war--
that he was pursued by her boats, and very nearly captured. I wish to
goodness he had been--but nothing more is known on the subject. There
is no doubt he has visited the _Ione_, and I only hope he has got no
inkling of what she is there for, and what we are about. If he has, you
see, why that is only a still greater reason for not letting the grass
grow under our feet."
The news brought by the midshipman of course alarmed Ada very much, as
she saw all the dreadful consequences which would too probably ensue,
should Zappa discover who he had in his power. He had the reputation of
being treacherous, vindictive, and cruel; and he was not likely to grow
merciful towards men who had ventured into his island in disguise, for
the purpose, he would naturally suspect, not only of rescuing her, but
of observing his means of defence, in order afterwards to attack him.
The evening was drawing to a close--the dancers had grown weary, and the
elders had begun to retire to their homes; so Ada gladly acceded to
Nina's wish to turn their steps up the ravine.
They parted at the foot of Nina's tower; and, as Ada bade her new friend
farewell--as she believed, for the last time--her heart bled for her
unhappy position and too probable fate. Ada hurried to her tower,
followed by Jack Raby and Marianna, fearful of meeting with the pirate,
lest he should stop to question the young midshipman; but, luckily, he
did not appear; and as soon as they reached her chamber, they set
themselves to work to prepare for their flight.