"That I may not," returned Flamming, "thou art a prisoner of the Order. It is for my superiors to dispose of thee: but what depends on me I will do. I am ready to fight with thee."

Upon a sign from him, the Thorbaschi's sword was brought him. "What dost thou mean?" said the astonished Turk.

"Thou hast alleged a personal grievance against me," said Flamming, "therefore will I do thee right with my person, and fight with thee. If I fall, these warriors will testify that it happened in honourable combat; and I pledge thee my honour thou shalt have nothing to fear on that account."

"This signifies a duel?" cried the Thorbaschi. "No, Frank, this foolish practices only in vogue amongst you christians; the true believers know nothing about it, and I must be insane, if, because I have been tricked and treacherously entrapped by thee, I should, just for that reason, run the risk of having thee chop off my head." He gave back the cymitar to Flamming, which the latter offered to the Odabaschi. "Thou too hast something to complain of against me shall we measure swords?"

"I have had a proof already how thou handlest the sword," muttered the Odabaschi. "Much obliged for the honour." "In that case there is nothing to be done with you," cried Flamming scornfully, "if you will not recognise the laws of honour. Go back to your prison; but never dare again to complain of having sustained wrong, since you have so obstinately rejected the only means of doing you right that is in our power."

The Turks were led out; and the gallant Montauban, now in knightly attire, rushed into the hall.

"I have relapsed, you see, from Judaism," he exclaimed, embracing the youth, "but matters do not go the better for this with us. I bring you desperately bad news.

"Heavens, our admirable, well-adjusted expedition?" cried Flamming.

"Is wrecked," replied the Frenchman. "The grand hospitaller knew nothing of the last reinforcement of the beleaguering army, and not a rascal of a spy had betrayed to us the new plan of assault."

"But my intelligence?" enquired Flamming.

"Arrived with us at Candia, just as the grand bailiff had entangled himself too deeply there, and served us just to this effect, that we were able to throw fresh reinforcements into Suda, and to escape back by the skin of our teeth, for which

we cannot sufficiently thank the blessed St. John; for this time the Turks swarmed in all directions, went right to the mark, and were infernally strong. Candia,-that you see burning down there,-lighted us to the carnage. The awkward Turkish bombs had set it on fire at last."

"And your orders for me?" enquired Flamming.

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"You are to hang up whatever Turks you have taken prisoners," said Montauban with unconcern. Blow up the harbour castle, and with as much booty as you can hastily sweep together make for Cerigotto, to the chief admiral's flotilla, and if you do not find him there, then sail for Malta."

"The Turks have yielded themselves to me as prisoners of war," said Flamming, gloomily: "to murder them cannot be thought of."

"You are too tender of conscience towards these unbelieving dogs," said Montauban.

"Had I given the devil my word to go to hell, I must keep it," said Flamming, impetuously.

"Have you taken much booty?" said Montauban, changing the subject.

"There was not much in the castle; and there is no Turkish exchequer in the island."

"Then levy a little contribution of war, to-night, from the rich Greeks."

"From our unfortunate fellow-christians, who already groan under the iron yoke?" said Flamming. "You jest, sir knight."

"So bold, so crafty, and yet so sensitive!" said the Frenchman, laughing. It is easy to see you have not been long in the trade. Well, it will all come with time."

"Now, God forbid!" exclaimed Flamming, with horror. "Well, as you please," said Moutauban," you command here: give me shelter for this night: to-morrow we sail together for Cerigotto."

"I have to acquaint you, sir knight," said old Wulf, now coming in, "that young Paolo, has just now, in company with some of our soldiers, brought a young lady into a fisherman's hut here by the harbour. He gave me this purse, bidding me lend him our boat to take her to-night to Cerigotto, , but I would not do so, without first acquainting you."

"A young lady:" said Flamming struck with a dark presentiment.Excuse me, sir knight, for leaving you, to hinder an act of villainy, attempted under my eyes."

He rushed out; Montauban and Wulf hastily followed him. They reached the fisherman's cabin, before which a soldier stood guard, who, recognising the knight, stepped respectfully aside; and Flamming burst into the little room with his companious. A pale girl lay on the fisherman's poor bed, lighted by a dull lamp: while Paolo was urging his frantic passion on the half fainting creature.

Flamming rushed to her, and recognising her, cried in wild astonishment, "Dione!"

"Undone!" screamed Paolo, reeling into a corner.

"Is this the wooing you talked of. Paolo ?" demanded Flamming, indignantly. "To play the lover in this fashion, may be the custom of your countrymen, but not of us christians. Give your sword to the filemaster, and go as prisoner on board the ship. I shall hold a court-martial upon the ravisher of a lady.'

"Thanks for this candour, Flamming," cried Paolo foaming with fury, "it frees me from the last tie of regard for thee, my evil demon, who ever crossest my dearest wishes. Thou wilt have me put to death? I die willingly, since she rejects me, but thou shalt not triumph over me in her arms, but precede me in death" and with drawn dagger he fell on Flamming, but the latter caught him quickly by the arm, and wrested the murderous steel out of his hand. It was all the work of an instant. "Take the assassin to the ship!" said Flamming, flinging the disarmed wretch to Wulf, who, with the help of some of his men, hurried him forcibly along. Montauban followed them. Flamming remained alone with Dione in the cabin. By-and-bye she came to herself, saw the knightly figure before her couch, and, without recognising him, threw herself gratefully at his feet, exclaiming, "my guardian angel." "Rise, Dione," said Flamming, distracted by a host of contending feelings, and raised her from the ground.

"Heavens! it is his voice," cried the lovely girl ; looked in his face, then glanced at the cross on his dalmatica, and covered her eyes with her hands as if to exclude the painful sight, and said, with melancholy softness, You have betra ed me, cruel man."

"Though my duty compelled me to the deceit," said Flamming, "yet, believe me, I have since bitterly regretted it."

"Did your duty bid you too to win with fond word and kiss upon a maiden's heart? Why could not your cross protect me from you, since it has placed an eternal barrier be tween us ?"

"Therein lies my deepest fault, dear maiden," said Flamming, enraptured even while abashed by the fond reproof. "To atone for it, I will forgo your presence, as soon as I shall have properly cared for your safety. Here you cannot remain. Permit me to take you to the castle, where you shall slumber securely, carefully guarded by my respectful vigilance till the break of day enables me to send you back to your relations."

Dione looked at him doubtingly, yet tenderly, and said, "May the fisherman's wife accompany me to the refuge you offer me ?"""

"The question pains me, though it anticipates my own in'tention," said Flamming, "I will go and call the woman."

With a gush of irrepressible love, Dione seized his hand, pressed it to her bosom, and exclaimed, "Yes, you are a knight without fear, and without reproach; my innocence is safe in your protection: but wo! wo! to my peace, that ever I should have known you."

Accompanied by the old fish-woman, the beautiful pair left the hut, and betook themselves to the castle.

CHAPTER XXI,

THE TABLES TURNED, AND TURNED AGAIN.

Ir was not till late after midnight, that, oppressed by his multitudinous feelings, Flamming was able to find sleep on his lonely bed of thorns, and when it did come, it was all the deeper for its delay. But, towards morning, he was troubled with unpleasant dreams. He thought he lay bound and all his adversaries, the infuriated Thorbaschi, the tax-gatherer, the Odabaschi and Leontaras, stood round about him, grinning, and laughing him to scorn. To get rid of the disagreeable dream, he turned to wake, and in the motion felt his hands and feet hurt, as if they were really bound. At last his eyes opened, and he saw bodily around his bed, as his dream had represented them, all his adversaries in the blood-red gleam of dawning sunrise, and heard their fiend-like laughter, accompanied by the clashing of weapons without, and the report of frequent shots.

Enraged, he attempted to spring up and chastise the rascals: but the cords with which he was tightly bound, kept him down on the bed, and the Thorbaschi struck him on the forehead, and asked him sneeringly, "Dost thou not notice, thou, over-clever giaour, that thou art now our prisoner ?"

"It is treachery!" exclaimed Flamming, indignantly.

"Call it whatever you please, sir knight," said Leontaras, "You presented me with my freedom yesterday in so friendly and honourable a fashion, that I knew no better use I could make of it, than to fetch one of the Captain Pacha's galleys from Cerigotto, and to lead the remainder of our commandant's Oda into the castle by a secret passage. You may turn this mishap to some good account; it contains a useful lesson. When you can ruin an enemy or show him clemency, be clement in a way that may assure his gratitude, or if you will not, ruin him outright. Mercy that springs from contempt debases its object, and puts the vengeful dagger anew in the hand, which otherwise perhaps would never have wielded it again."

"What a deal of breath this simpie Greek wastes," grumbled the Thorbaschi, "to preach to a man, who, in an hour, will cease to belong to the living."

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What, shall this dog suffer only an hour for betraying and abusing us all?" said the Odabaschi, venomously.

"No one has such reason to complain of him as I," said Leontaras. "It was but yesterday he carried off my intended bride by force from Lambro Canzoni's house: she must be here in the castle."

"What is the use of reckoning separately every little item?" said the tax-gatherer facetiously: "we will throw them altogether, draw a broad red stroke under the total, and so settle the business at once."

Thou hast decreed severely against me, O God," sighed Flamming, "I bow to thy fatherly hand."

The Bairacter of the Oda now entered, and announced that the greater part of the christian garrison, with a knight at their head, had cut their way to the harbour to their ship, and had escaped."

"Perdition!" cried the Thorbaschi, stamping with his foot. "That comes of your plan for taking this giaour alive. If the galley had dashed at once into the harbour, and we had then divided our forces as I proposed, not as much as a prisoner could have escaped us. But no, we must all first come here

only to take him in his sleep."

"He

"Never mind, commander," said the Odabaschi. was the chief person, and the rascal is so strong and lithesome, that we could never have obtained the victory if he had come to fight."

"My brethren-in-arms are saved," said Flamming, smiling