“Know, base coward, that, woman as I am, I would scorn to take the life of an unarmed enemy.  I was only trying you to ascertain how low you would degrade and how debasingly demean yourself to beg for mercy.  I would have made you swear to take me from this place, but I knew you would perjure yourself the moment an opportunity afforded, and I did not care to burden your guilty soul with another crime.  For the same reason I decline accepting your proffer to take me away.  I know you would prove treacherous, and I will not trust myself in your hands.  Go, now, and remember that the next time you enter this room in my presence, you die!  I will not permit another insult of the kind; no, sir, never!  Open that door and leave!”

He obeyed; she followed him with the pistol presented, until he was out of the captain’s room.  He closed the door into the outer cave with a slam, and locked it, and then called out: 

“Madam, you were a fool for not securing the keys while you had me in your power.  I now curse and defy you, and swear that I will make you repent this day’s work in the dust and ashes of humiliation.  I shall not come alone next time, but with fifty men; and you shall be overpowered and feel the weight of my vengeance!  I’ll wring your proud heart till it bleeds, and in your degradation will scorn you!”

She did not wait to hear more of his harangue, but hastened back into her room, shut and bolted her door, placed every movable object in the apartment against the one by which Duffel had entered, and then entering the secret passage, ran to the mirror to see if the villain left.  She had been there but a few minutes when he passed, cursing as he went, and swearing to be revenged.

The reader may wonder why Eveline did not shoot the wretch when she had him in her power, but the truth was, she knew nothing about using fire-arms, and feared to make the attempt, lest, failing, she should be again in his hands.  She knew, too, that it would not be prudent to trust herself to be led out of the cave by him, as the moment he met one of his followers he would betray her, and she would be again a prisoner.  Still she would have made this venture, had not the secret passage held out to her a more hopeful mode of escape.

All these considerations, dangers and probabilities flashed through her mind with the fleetness of thought, and she came to conclusions with the same rapidity.  Doubtless, she pursued the best course.  She could presume on Duffel’s cowardice, but she dare not trust his word or his oath.

So soon as her persecutor passed out from the cave, as shown by the mirror, she hastened back to her room to make preparations for leaving the den of infamy in which she had been confined, feeling well assured that but a few hours would be suffered to elapse, ere Duffel, with as many adherents as he deemed necessary to accomplish his ends, would return, to wreak his pitiless vengeance upon her.  Making everything