, it was enough for him that he was in pursuit of an
English vessel, that his revenge was again to be gratified with
English blood.

He was roused by a light touch of the arm--he turned impatiently.

"Why, Florette."

A beautiful girl stood beside him, gazing into his face half with fear
and half with love. Her dress was partly that of a girl and partly of
a boy; over a pair of white loose sailor's trowsers a short gown was
thrown, fastened with a blue zone, and her long hair fell in thick,
luxuriant masses from beneath a gracefully shaped little straw
hat--altogether she was as lovely in feature and form as Venus
herself, with an eye blue as the ocean, and a voice soft and sweet as
the southern breeze.

"Dear William, will you not go below and take some rest?"

"I want none, girl; I shall not sleep till every man on yonder vessel
has gone to rest in the caves of ocean."

"But you will eat?"

"Pshaw! Florette, leave me; your place is below."

The girl said no more, but slowly glided to the companion-way and
disappeared into the little cabin.

The long night at length wore away, and as the clear light of morning
shone upon the waters the merchant vessel was no longer visible from
the deck of the pirate.

"A thousand devils! has he escaped me. Ho! the one of you with the
sharpest eyes up to the mast-head. Stay, I will go myself."

Thus speaking, the captain mounted the main-mast and gazed long and
anxiously; he could see nothing of the vessel. He mounted still
higher, climbing the slender top-mast till with his hand resting upon
the main-truck he once more looked over the horizon. Thus far his gaze
had been directed to windward, in the course where the vanished brig
had last been seen. At length he turned to leeward, and far in the
distant horizon his eagle eye caught faint sight of a sail, like the
white and glancing wing of a bird. With wonderful rapidity he slid to
the deck, and gave orders to set the brig before the wind. The
beautiful little bark fell off gracefully, and in a moment was swiftly
retracing the waters it had beaten over during the night.

"The revenge will be no less sweet that it is deferred," exclaimed the
pirate captain, as he threw himself upon the companion-way. "Thirty
English vessels have I sunk in the deep, and I am not yet
satisfied--no, no, curses on her name, curses on her laws, they have
driven me forth from a lordly heritage and an ancient name to die an
outcast and a pirate