THE PIRATES OF SEGNA. 435 



to this generous and impassioned lover all the sym- 

 pathies of her affectionate nature ? She spoke not ; 

 but as she leaned half - fainting on his arm, her 

 eloquent looks said that which made Ibrahim's pulses 

 thrill with grateful rapture. Pressing her fondly to 

 his bosom, he placed her on the back of his faithful 

 steed, and vaulted into the saddle. Snorting as the 

 vapour flew from his red nostrils, and neighing with 

 mad delight, the impatient animal threw out his iron 

 hoofs into the air, flew round the angle of the cliff, 

 and joined ere long a dozen mounted spearmen. 

 Then, bending their headlong course towards the far 

 east, in a few seconds all had disappeared. 



During this scene, which passed almost with the 

 speed of thought, the Proveditore, who was seated on 

 a ledge of the cliff, had gazed anxiously and wildly 

 at the youthful stranger. He knew him in an in- 

 stant, and would have singled him out amidst thou- 

 sands ; but was so overwhelmed by a rushing tide 

 of strong and heartrending emotions, that he could 

 neither rise nor speak, and remained, long after the 

 Turk had disappeared, with outstretched arms and 

 straining eyeballs. 



" Gracious Heaven ! " exclaimed the bewildered 

 Antonio, half-suspecting the truth, "who was that 

 daring youth ] " 



After a pause, and in tones broken and inarticulate, 

 his father answered " Thy twin brother, Antonio ! 

 AVhen a child he was stolen from me by some Turks 



