The Buccaneer - A Tale

"Acknowledge your marriage with me before this holy man," she continued:

"although he is a Christian, I have heard that he is honest--and I will

leave you for a time."

"Peace, Zillah!" interrupted Burrell; "there was no marriage. It is a

fable of your own invention--you have no proof."

"Have I not?" she replied, and, with woman's luckless imprudence, she

drew forth a small packet and held it for an instant towards him. That

instant was enough: he snatched the documents from her hand, and held

them before her with the exultation of a demon. His triumph, however,

was but short-lived, for Fleetword, who comprehended what had passed,

was sufficiently alive to its importance to seize the papers from the

Master of Burrell before he had the least idea that the preacher would

have dared such an act. Sir Willmott stood amazed at his presumption:

but instantly Fleetword drew forth the basket-hilted sword we have

before noticed, and with more real intellect, and excellent feeling,

than a cavalier would have believed he possessed, exclaimed,-"Sir Willmott Burrell! When Solomon sat in judgment in Israel, he

despised not the cause even of the worst. It hath been given me to

understand the tongues of many lands--not by the intervention of the

Holy Spirit, but by the industry and labour of my poor brain, aided, as

all just and fitting things are, by the blessing of the Lord! If what

this person says is true, it would be most unseemly for you to become

the husband of Mistress Constantia Cecil; if it is not true, why the

person must fall by its (for of a truth I cannot determine the sex)--its

own falsehood! But keep off, Master of Burrell! Jonas Fleetword can

fight for the truth by strength of hand as well as of voice; the

documents shall be heard of at the seat of judgment in our New

Jerusalem."

Sir Willmott, thus run down on all sides, had now recourse to stratagem.

After a brief pause, during which both Zillah and the preacher, as if

having come to the same determination, kept silence, he said,-"Well; perhaps it is best. Will you, Zillah, go with me to Cecil Place?"

"No!" was her reply. "I will meet you there; but I frankly tell you, I

will not trust myself in your company under any roof, unless it be with

many persons."

"Then come there at seven o' the clock this evening--and I swear----"

"I have no faith in your oaths--but I will trust to this man; and if he

assures me that the accursed marriage shall not take place until I hold

commune with the woman you would wed--safe, and undisturbed commune--I

will leave you until night."