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PRICE FOUR CENTS.
{Drawn and engraved expressly for The Weekly Novelette. *
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Clerk’s Office of
the District Court of Mascachusetts.]
CAPTAIN BELT:
—orR,—
The Buccaneer of the Gull.
A ROMANTIC STORY OF THE SEA AND SIIORE.
BY F. CLINTON BARRINGTON.
[conrinvED.]
CHAPTER XIV.
NEWLY EXCITED HOPE DASHED DOWN.
Dow Conrapo had all the while preserved his com-
osure, but evidently with a powerful effort. But now
is eye lighted up like a leopard’s, and with a frown
darkening above it like a thunder-cloud discharging
lightnings, he said, witheriagly :
“‘Thou art a very pythoness, beautiful and fierce
creature! I feel like striking thee through the heart,
thou hast so enraged me; but [ love thee too well, too
-well! By the mass, thy beauty is: glorious in the
brightness of thy anger! " Woman, I see you hate me.
at do not insult me! There is a point of forbearance
beyond which human nature will not yield!”
“Then leave me !”
“If Lam so hateful to thee, why hast thou preserved
this crucifix?” he demanded, as he snatched from the
table the golden gift.
Inj Thy touch, even, could not pollute that holy thing!
nit I saw my Saviour in anguish, and not thy gift. I
~ .: would not cast away such a thing as that. Its preser-
vation has nought to do with thy remembrance, but to
Ms sacred subject.”?. ‘
4 Tsee you have no heart! I am an idiot to have
Oved thee, ever! Iwill try and cure the madness ”
Thou wouldst be happier.”
GERTRUDE ENSNARED.
«But thou Hast a heart. It is not all arctic ice. For
thou hast lovers !’
“ Gaspar!” called Donna Gertrude, as she saw that
Don Conrado’s eye glared furiously upon her. The
Cuban was at the moment approaching the door with
coffee on a silver waiter.
“ Senora.”
“Serve the gentleman, and when he has refreshed
himself show him to the gate,” she said, in a com-
manding tone. Then turning to Don Conrado, she
coutinued in the same manner, “ You will excuse me,
Senor de Beltran, from further. duties of hospitality.
When my father returns he will, no doubt, entertain
you more agreeably than I have done.” © These. final
words were uttered with ineffable scorn; and the beau-
tiful and incensed girl left the apartment, showing -in
her step, look, and air, that she felt herself deeply in-
sulted by the intrusion of one so detested into. the
house, even under the peculiar circumstances of which
he had ‘availed himself to obtain admittance.
“ An incensed Minerva! an offended Juno! a pout-
ing Hebe! a vexed Venus! an angry angel !—all in
one!” said the captain of the brigantine, as he followed
her retiring figure with his eyes. He smiled as he
spoke, but there were evil thoughts in the smile It
seemed to express contemplated and :sure revenge for
allthis. “Itis her hour now. . It will, by-and-by, be
mine! Had she ‘been less haughty, less personal, I
might have forgiven her, and gone away and tried to
forget her. But she has too deeply insulted me to be
pardoned. Revenge shall be my punishment. She
shall be mine. I will live only to get possession of her.
The sun shall shine henceforth only to give light to me
to take her; the earth shall roll round only to create
metime!” _
“ Senor.”
This was the third time Gaspar had tried to draw his
attention to the cup of coffee that he was holding at his
elbow.
‘* Well, what is it ?””
“ Coffee, senor.”
‘Yes, coffee I need. Thanks. Are you the brave
fellow who so well defended your mistress ?”
* Si, senor.”
“ There is a gold onza.”
[See page 193.}
“ Thanks, senor.”
“ Dost thou know the rogues who set upon thee 7”
“ One of them, senor, I think was a caballero.”
* Ho who had your mistress by the arm ?”
“ Si, senor.”
“ So I supposed. : Dost know his name ?””
“JT think a Count Lieutenant de Contelli.”
“ That is an Italian name.”
“ Yes, your worship ; he is a count who was in Cuba,
and saw Donna’Gertrude and would marry her; but
she said’no, ‘Then he came here, and she said no
many times; and now he has tried to run off with
er.’ .
« Aided by two men. I'see now how itis. “And is
this the only admirer your mistress has?’ aaked Don
Conrado, as he sipped’a cup of the fragrant coffee,
standing in the same place where Donna Gertrude had
left him. 7
“O no, senor,” answered Gaspar, who was ignorant
of the scene that had passed between his mistress and
her preserver, and who felt disposed to be communica-
tive towards a gentleman who had so bravely come to
the rescue of his mistress. ‘‘ She is never without no-
ble gentlemen who would seek her hand in marriage.
But she loves her father’ too well, senor, she always
tells them, to leave him.” .
“ Ah, that is it, is it? Some of her lovers serenade
her, I believe.”
“O yes, all of them. We have fine music of nights.
Alas, senor, last night a sad accident happened.”
“Nay, what: was it? Not to any of Donna Ger-
trude’s lovers, I trust,’”” he remarked, sarcastically.
“O yes, senor. One of the gentlemen, Capitan Clif-
ford, was followed after he left the balcony by two
assassins—”
“By what, man?” :
“ By two assassins, senor,” answered Gaspar, repeat-
ing the word, that had so grated on Don Conrado’s
ears, with strange emphasis, but without suspecting the
nearness of its application. .The captain of the brig-
antine winced, but said no moro, and Gaspar contin-
ued: “ They attacked him near the shop of a friend of
mine, one Giberto Lapedo, wha sallied out to his aid,
or he would haye bgon slain ; as jt was, he got a severe
wound,
at.
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