is past."

"The hand that is imbrued with my mother's blood, perhaps!" exclaimed
Francisco. "Never!"

"Not so, by God!" exclaimed Cain. "No, no; not quite so bad as that.
In my mood I struck your mother; I grant it. I did not intend to injure
her, but I did, and she died. I will not lie--that is the fact. And it
is also the fact that I wept over her, Francisco; for I loved her as I
do you.

"It was a hasty, bitter blow, that," continued Cain, soliloquising, with
his hand to his forehead, and unconscious of Francisco's presence at the
moment. "It made me what I am, for it made me reckless."

"Francisco," said Cain, raising his head, "I was bad, but I was no
pirate when your mother lived. There is a curse upon me: that which I
love most I treat the worst. Of all the world, I loved your mother
most: yet did she from me receive much injury, and at last I caused her
death. Next to your mother, whose memory I at once revere and love, and
tremble when I think of (and each night does she appear to me), I have
loved you, Francisco; for you, like her, have an angel's feelings: yet
have I treated you as ill. You thwarted me, and you were right. Had
you been wrong, I had not cared; but you were right, and it maddened me.
Your appeals by day--your mother's in my dreams--"

Francisco's heart was softened; if not repentance, there was at least
contrition. "Indeed I pity you," replied Francisco.

"You must do more, Francisco; you must be friends with me," said Cain,
again extending his hand.

"I cannot take that hand, it is too deeply dyed in blood," replied
Francisco.

"Well, well, so would have said your mother. But hear me, Francisco,"
said Cain, lowering his voice to a whisper, lest he should be overheard;
"I am tired of this life--perhaps sorry for what I have done--I wish to
leave it--have wealth in plenty concealed where others know not. Tell
me, Francisco, shall we both quit this vessel, and live together happily
and without doing wrong? You shall share all, Francisco. Say, now,
does that please you?"

"Yes; it pleases me to hear that you will abandon your lawless life,
Captain Cain; but share your wealth I cannot, for how has it been
gained?"

"It cannot be returned, Francisco; I will do good with it. I will
indeed, Francisco. I--will--repent;" and again the hand was extended.

Francisco hesitated.

"I do, so help me God! I _do_ repent, Francisco!" exclaimed the
pirate-captain.

"And I, as