"Revenge has come!" groaned forth the unfortunate man. "Is it not enough

that my child, that high-souled, noble creature, knows of my guilt! All

this day, and yesterday too, she would not see me. I know how it is--I

am as a leper in her eyes."

"Your daughter!--your daughter know your crime!" said the Buccaneer:

"How, how was that?--Who told, who could have told her such a

thing?--who had the heart?--But stay!" he continued, with his rude but

natural energy, the better feelings of his nature coming out at once,

when he understood what the baronet must have endured under such

circumstances:--"stay, you need not tell me; there is but one man upon

earth who could so act, and that man is Sir Willmott Burrell.--The

villain made a shrewd guess, and fooled ye into a confession. I see

through it all!--And are you so mean a coward?" he continued, turning

upon Sir Robert a look of ineffable contempt--"are you cowardly enough

to sacrifice your daughter to save yourself? I see it now; the secret

that Burrell has wormed from you is the spear that pushes her to the

altar; and you--you suffer this, and sell her and her lands to stay

his tongue! Man, man, is there no feeling at your heart? Have ye a

heart? I--I--a rude, untaught savage, whose hands are stained with

blood, even to the very bone; who have been as a whirlwind, scattering

desolation; over the deck of whose vessel has floated the pennon of

every land, working destruction as a pastime; I, myself, would brand

myself as a brigand and a Buccaneer--scorch the words, in letters of

fire, on my brow, and stand to be gazed upon by the vile rabble at every

market-cross in England, sooner than suffer my humble child to

sacrifice the least portion of herself for me!"

Dalton paused for breath; Sir Robert Cecil hid his face from the

flashing of his angry eye.

"Dalton!" he said at length, "I cannot do it, honoured as I have been,

bearing so long an unspotted name, venerated at the court, praised by

the people! Besides, I am sure Sir Willmott loves her; his whole conduct

proves----"

"--Him to be what I have often declared him, and will again once more--a

double-distilled villain!" interrupted the Buccaneer with renewed

energy. "But what is this to me?" he added, stopping abruptly in the

midst of his sentence--"What have I to do with it? My revenge upon you

both is certain, unless my own purpose be accomplished--and it shall be

accomplished for my child's sake. I will find out Sir Willmott, and tell

him so to his teeth. Sir Robert Cecil, farewell! You, I suppose, are a

courtly, a gentlemanly father! Pity that such should ever have

children!" and gathering his cloak around him, he left the room without

uttering another word.




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