Transcript

043 - Chapter 21 · Pirate

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Speaker 1: Chapter twenty one of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by
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Speaker 1: Dion John's Salt Lake City, Utah Joy Joy in London
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Speaker 1: now Southey. The news of the capture of the Rover
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Speaker 1: reached Kirkwall about an hour before noon, and filled all
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Speaker 1: men with wonder and with joy. Little business was that
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Speaker 1: day dawn at the fair, whilst people of all ages
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Speaker 1: and occupations streamed from the place to see the prisoners
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Speaker 1: as they were marched towards Kirkwall, and to triumph in
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Speaker 1: the different appearance which they now bore from that which
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Speaker 1: they had formerly exhibited when ranting, swaggering, and bullying in
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Speaker 1: the streets of that town. The bayonets of the Marines
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Speaker 1: were soon seen to glisten in the sun, and then
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Speaker 1: came on the melancholy troop of captives, handcuffed two and
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Speaker 1: two together. Their finery had been partly torn from them
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Speaker 1: by their captors, partly hung in rags about them. Many
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Speaker 1: were wounded and covered with blood, many blackened and scorched
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Speaker 1: with the explosion by which a few of the most
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Speaker 1: desperate had in vain striven to blow up the vessel.
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Speaker 1: Most of them seemed sullen and impenitent. Some were more
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Speaker 1: becomingly affected with their condition, and a few braved it
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Speaker 1: out and sung the same ryebald songs to which they
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Speaker 1: had made the streets of Kirkwall Ring when they were
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Speaker 1: in their frolics. The Boatswain and Golf coupled together, exhausted
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Speaker 1: themselves in threads and imprecations, again against each other, the
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Speaker 1: former charging Golf with want of seamanship, and the latter
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Speaker 1: alleging that the boatswain had prevented him from firing the
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Speaker 1: powder that was stowed forward, and so sending them all
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Speaker 1: to the other world together. Last came Cleveland and Bunch,
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Speaker 1: who were permitted to walk unshackled, the decent, melancholy yet
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Speaker 1: resolved manner of the former contrasting strongly with the stage
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Speaker 1: strut and swagger which poor Jack thought it fitting to
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Speaker 1: assume in order to conceal some less dignified emotions. The
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Speaker 1: former was looked upon with compassion, the latter with a
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Speaker 1: mixture of scorn and pity, while most of the others
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Speaker 1: inspired horror and even fear by their looks and their language.
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Speaker 1: There was one individual in Kirkwall, who was so far
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Speaker 1: from hates listening to see the site which attracted all eyes,
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Speaker 1: that he was not even aware of the event which
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Speaker 1: agitated the town. This was the elder Murtown, whose residents
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Speaker 1: Kirkwall had been for two or three days, part of
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Speaker 1: which had been spent in attending to some judicial proceedings
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Speaker 1: undertaken at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal against that
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Speaker 1: grave Professor Bryce Snowsfoot. In consequence of an inquisition into
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Speaker 1: the proceedings of this worthy trader, Cleveland's chest, with his
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Speaker 1: papers and other matters therein contained, had been restored to
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Speaker 1: Murtown as the lawful custodier thereof, until the right owner
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Speaker 1: should be in a situation to establish his right to them.
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Speaker 1: Murtown was at first desirous to throw back upon justice
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Speaker 1: the charge which she was disposed to entrust him with,
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Speaker 1: but on perusing one or two of the papers, he
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Speaker 1: hastily changed his mind. In broken words, requested the magistrate
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Speaker 1: to let the chest be sent to his lodgings, and,
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Speaker 1: hastening Homeward bolted himself into the room to consider and
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Speaker 1: digest the singular information which Chance had thus conveyed to him.
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Speaker 1: And which increased in a tenfold degree his impatience for
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Speaker 1: an interview with the mysterious Norna of the fitful Head.
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Speaker 1: It may be remembered that she had required of him,
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Speaker 1: when they met in the churchyard of Saint Ninian, to
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Speaker 1: attend in the outer aisle of the cathedral of Saint
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Speaker 1: Magnus at the hour of noon on the fifth day
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Speaker 1: of the Fair of Saint Olah, there to meet a
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Speaker 1: person by whom the fate of Mordaunt would be explained
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Speaker 1: to him. It must be herself, he said, and that
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Speaker 1: I should see her at this moment is indispensable. How
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Speaker 1: to find her sooner I know not, and better lose
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Speaker 1: a few hours even in this exigence than offend her
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Speaker 1: by a premature attempt to force myself on her presence.
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Speaker 1: Long therefore, before noon, long before the town of Kirkwall
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Speaker 1: was agitated by the news of the events on the
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Speaker 1: other side of the island, the elder mertown was pacing
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Speaker 1: the deserted isle of the cathedral, awaiting with agonizing eagerness
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Speaker 1: the expected communication from Norna. The bell told twelve. No
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Speaker 1: door opened, no one was seen to enter the cathedral,
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Speaker 1: but the last sounds had not ceased to reverberate through
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Speaker 1: the vaulted roof when gliding from one of the interior
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Speaker 1: side aisles, nor stood before him. Mertown, indifferent to the
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Speaker 1: apparent mystery of her sudden approach, with the secret of
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Speaker 1: which the reader is acquainted, went up to her at
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Speaker 1: once with the earnest ejaculation. Ulla Ulla Troyl aid me
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Speaker 1: to save our unhappy boy. To Ulla Troyl, said Norna,
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Speaker 1: I answer not. I gave that name to the winds
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Speaker 1: on the night that cost me a father. Speak not
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Speaker 1: of that night of horror, said Mertown. We have need
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Speaker 1: of our reason. Let us not think on recollections which
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Speaker 1: may destroy it. But aid me if thou canst to
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Speaker 1: save our unfortunate child, Vaughan answered Norna, he is already saved,
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Speaker 1: long since saved. Think you a mother's hand, and that
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Speaker 1: of such a mother as I am, would await your
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Speaker 1: crawling tardy in effect victual assistance. No, Vaughan, I make
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Speaker 1: myself known to you, but to show my triumph over you.
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Speaker 1: It is the only revenge which the powerful Norna permits
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Speaker 1: herself to take for the wrongs of Ulla Troil. Have
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Speaker 1: you indeed saved him, saved him from the murderous crew,
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Speaker 1: said Mertown or Vaughan, speak and speak truth. I will
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Speaker 1: believe everything. Ah, you would require me to assent to
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Speaker 1: prove to me only he is escaped and safe. Escaped
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Speaker 1: and safe by my means, said Norna, Safe and in
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Speaker 1: assurance of an honored and happy alliance. Yes, great unbeliever, Yes,
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Speaker 1: wise and self opinioned, Infidel, these were the works of Norna.
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Speaker 1: I knew you many a year since, but never had
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Speaker 1: I made myself known to you, save with the triumphant
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Speaker 1: consciousness of having controlled the destiny that threatened my son.
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Speaker 1: All combined against him, planets which threatened drowning, combinations which
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Speaker 1: menaced blood. But my skill was superior to all I arranged.
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Speaker 1: I combined, I found means, I made them. Each disaster
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Speaker 1: has been averted. And what infidel on earth or stubborn
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Speaker 1: demoned beyond the bounds of earth shall hereafter deny my power.
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Speaker 1: The wild ecstasy with which she spoke so much resembled
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Speaker 1: triumphant insanity that Mertown answered. Were your pretensions less lofty
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Speaker 1: and your speech more plain? I should be better assured
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Speaker 1: of my son's safety. Doubt on vain skeptic, said Norna.
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Speaker 1: And yet know that not only is our son's safe,
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Speaker 1: but vengeance is mine though I sought it, not vengeance
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Speaker 1: on the powerful implement of the darker influences by whom
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Speaker 1: my schemes were so often thwarted, and even the life
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Speaker 1: of my son endangered. Yes, take it as a guarantee
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Speaker 1: of the truth of my speech that Cleveland the Pirate
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Speaker 1: Cleveland even now enters Kirkwall as a prisoner, and will
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Speaker 1: soon expiate with his life the having shed blood which
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Speaker 1: is of kin to Nornis. Who didst thou say was prisoner?
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Speaker 1: Exclaimed Mertown, with a voice of thunder. Who woman didst
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Speaker 1: thou say should expiate his crimes with his life? Cleveland
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Speaker 1: the Pirate Cleveland, answered Norna. And by me, whose counsel
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Speaker 1: he scorned, he has been permitted to meet his fate.
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Speaker 1: Thou most wretched of women, said Mertown, speaking from behind
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Speaker 1: his clenched teeth. Thou hast slain thy son as well
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Speaker 1: as thy father my son? What son? What mean you? Mordaunt?
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Speaker 1: Is your son your only son? Exclaimed Norna. Is he
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Speaker 1: not tell me quickly? Is he not? Mordaunt? Is indeed
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Speaker 1: my son, said Mertown. The laws at least gave him
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Speaker 1: to me as such. But oh, unhappy Ullah, Cleveland is
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Speaker 1: your son as well as mine, blood of our blood,
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Speaker 1: bone of our bone, and if you have given him
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Speaker 1: to death, I will end my wretched life along with him.
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Speaker 1: Stay hold stop, Vaughn, said Norna. I am not yet overcome.
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Speaker 1: Prove but to me the truth of what you say.
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Speaker 1: I would find help if I should evoke hell. But
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Speaker 1: prove your words else believe them. I cannot thou help, wretched,
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Speaker 1: overweening woman. In what have thy combinations and thy stratagems,
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Speaker 1: the ledgered domain of lunacy, the mere quackery of insanity?
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Speaker 1: In what have these involved THEE? And yet I will
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Speaker 1: speak to THEE as reasonable. Nay, I will admit THEE
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Speaker 1: as powerful. Here, then, Ullah, the proofs which you demand,
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Speaker 1: and find a remedy if thou canst. When I fled
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Speaker 1: from Orkney, he continued, after a pause, it is now
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Speaker 1: five and twenty years since I bore with me the
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Speaker 1: unhappy offspring to whom you had given light. It was
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Speaker 1: sent to me by one of your kinswomen, with an
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Speaker 1: account of your illness, which was soon followed by a
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Speaker 1: generally received belief of your death. It avails not to
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Speaker 1: tell in what misery I left Europe. I found refuge
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Speaker 1: in Hispaniola, wherein a fair young Spaniard undertook the task
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Speaker 1: of comforter. I married her. She became mother of the
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Speaker 1: youth called Mordaunt Murtown. You married her, said Norna, in
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Speaker 1: a tone of deep reproach. I did, Ullah, answered Mertown.
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Speaker 1: But you were avenged. She proved faithless, and her infidelity
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Speaker 1: left me in doubts whether the child she bore had
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Speaker 1: a right to call me father. But I was also avenged.
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Speaker 1: You murdered her, said Norna, with a dreadful shriek. I
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Speaker 1: did that, said Mertown, without a more direct reply, which
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Speaker 1: made an instant flight from Hispaniola necessary. Your son I
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Speaker 1: carried with me to Tortuga, where we had a small settlement.
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Speaker 1: Mordaunt Vaughn, my son by marriage, about three or four
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Speaker 1: years younger, was residing in Port Royal for the advantages
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Speaker 1: of an English education. I resolved never to see him again,
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Speaker 1: but I continued to support him. Our settlement was plundered
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Speaker 1: by the Spaniards. When Clement was but fifteen, WANT came
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Speaker 1: to aid, despair and a troubled conscience. I became a
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Speaker 1: corsair and involved Clement in the same desperate trade. His
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Speaker 1: skill and bravery, though then a mere boy, gained him
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Speaker 1: a separate command, and after a lapse of two or
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Speaker 1: three years, while we were on different cruises, my crew
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Speaker 1: rose on me and left me for dead on the
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Speaker 1: beach of one of the bermudas. I recovered. However, and
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Speaker 1: my first enquiries, after a tedious illness, were after Clement.
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Speaker 1: He I heard, had been also marooned by a rebellious
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Speaker 1: crew and put ashore on a desert island to perish
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Speaker 1: with want I believed he had so perished? And what
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Speaker 1: assures you that he did not? Said Ullah, or how
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Speaker 1: comes this Cleveland to be identified with Vaughan? To change
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Speaker 1: a name is common with such adventurers, answered Mertown, and
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Speaker 1: Clement had apparently found that a Vaughan had become too notorious,
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Speaker 1: and this change in his case prevented me from hearing
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Speaker 1: any tidings of him. It was then that remorse seized me,
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Speaker 1: and that, detesting all nature, but especially the sex to
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Speaker 1: which Louisa belonged, I resolved to do penance in the
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Speaker 1: wild islands of Zeteland for the rest of my life.
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Speaker 1: To subject myself to fats and to the scourge was
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Speaker 1: the advice of the holy Catholic priests, whom I consulted.
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Speaker 1: But I devised a nobler tenance. I determined to bring
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Speaker 1: with me the unhappy boy Mordaunt, and to keep always
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Speaker 1: before me the living memorial of my misery and my guilt.
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Speaker 1: I have done so, and I have thought over both
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Speaker 1: till reason has often trembled on her throne. And now,
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Speaker 1: to drive me to utter madness, my Clement, my own,
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Speaker 1: my undoubted son, revives from the dead to be consigned
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Speaker 1: to an infamous death by the machinations of his own mother.
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Speaker 1: Away Away, said Norna with a laugh when she heard
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Speaker 1: the story to an end. This is a legend framed
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Speaker 1: by the old Corsair to interest my aid in favor
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Speaker 1: of a guilty comrade. How could I mistake Mordaunt for
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Speaker 1: my son? Their age is being so different. The dark
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Speaker 1: complexion and manly stature may have done much, said Besson
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Speaker 1: Mertown strong imagination must have done the rest. But give
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Speaker 1: me proofs, give me proofs that this Cleveland is my son,
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Speaker 1: and believe me, this sun shall sooner sink in the
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Speaker 1: east than they shall have power to harm a hair
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Speaker 1: of his head. These papers, these journals, said Mertown, offering
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Speaker 1: the pocket book. I cannot read them, she said, after
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Speaker 1: an effort. My brain is dizzy. Clement has also tokens
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Speaker 1: which you may remember, but they must have become the
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Speaker 1: booty of his captors. He had a silver box with
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Speaker 1: a runic inscription, with which, in far other days you
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Speaker 1: presented me a golden chaplet. A box, said Norna, hastily.
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Speaker 1: Cleveland gave me one but a day since I have
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Speaker 1: never looked at it till now. Eagerly she pulled it out,
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Speaker 1: eagerly examined the legend around the lid, and as eagerly exclaimed,
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Speaker 1: they may now indeed call me rhym Kenner, for by
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Speaker 1: this rhyme I know myself murderous of my son as
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Speaker 1: well as of my father. The conviction of the strong
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Speaker 1: delusion under which she had labored was so overwhelming that
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Speaker 1: she sunk down at the foot of one of the pillars.
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Speaker 1: Mertown shouted for help, though in despair of receiving any.
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Speaker 1: The sexton, however, entered, and hopeless of all assistance from Norna,
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Speaker 1: the distracted father rushed out to learn, if possible, the
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Speaker 1: fate of his son. End of chapter twenty one.