Amen!  Let that prayer enter the ear of Him who sitteth upon the Throne; and may He commission the angels of wrath to bear the curse, and heap it upon the head of the guilty author of all this wretchedness, and of the unutterable pain inflicted upon another heart!

* * * * *

Bill and Dick proceeded with their prisoner through the denser portions of the wilderness for two or three miles on foot, when they met Duffel, who had prepared horses for their flight, as it was a good long way to the cave.  The villain approached Eveline, and said: 

“I hope you will pardon the seeming rudeness which necessity compels me to manifest toward you in the present emergency.  I hope soon to find you a pleasant resting-place, where I shall have leisure and opportunity to make explanations and amplify on this brief apology.”

To this insulting speech Eveline made no reply, but she cast a defiant and piercing look upon the miscreant, which made him quail with cowardly fear, and took from his manner much of its bold assurance.  He saw in that one glance of her eye an unconquerable resolve to meet him as a foe, and never to be vanquished; the victory he had flattered himself as being nearly won, he now saw afar off, unless the most beastly violence should be resorted to.  But without a moment’s delay, she was placed upon a horse, himself and accomplices mounted on others, and, he by her side, with Bill and Dick in the rear, the whole party pushed forward for the cave, where they arrived a little past the middle of the afternoon without any serious adventure.

Duffel placed his captive in the Captain’s room, with the bed-room to retire to at her pleasure.

“I trust,” said he, “you will find this a comfortable place; and be assured I shall strive to do all in my power to make your stay here as agreeable as possible.  Books you shall have whenever you desire them; there are a number in the case yonder, and any others you may wish for shall be procured.  The length of time you will remain my guest depends upon your own choice, with one condition annexed, of which I will speak to you more fully to-morrow.  At present I have urgent business to attend to elsewhere, which cannot be delayed; I regret to leave you so soon; I hope you will pardon me, and I will endeavor to make amends in the future for any apparent neglect at the present.  You will find the key to the bed-room in the lock on the inside; make yourself easy during my absence.  I shall lake the precaution to lock the door of egress and ingress to this room, so that you may rest in perfect security that no one can harm you.  And now good evening, for I must be off, and may pleasant dreams attend your slumbers.”

With this mockingly polite address and adieu he left the room and the cave, securing the door after him, and was soon on his way back.