But, in fact, Raoul had no such intention. His cruise was not up, and
his present position, surrounded as he was with enemies, was full of
attraction to one of his temperament. Only the day before he had
appeared in the disguise of a lazzarone, he had captured, manned, and
sent to Marseilles a valuable store-ship; and he knew that another was
hourly expected in the bay. This was an excuse to his people for
remaining where they were, But the excitement of constantly running the
gauntlet, the pleasure of demonstrating the superior sailing of his
lugger, the opportunities for distinction, and every other professional
motive, were trifling, as compared with the tie which bound him to, the
feeling that unceasingly attracted him toward Ghita. With his love,
also, there began to mingle a sensation approaching to despair. While
Ghita was so gentle, and even tender, with him, he had ever found her
consistent and singularly firm in her principles. In their recent
dialogues, some that we hare forborne to relate on account of their
peculiar character, Ghita had expressed her reluctance to trust her fate
with one whose God was not her God, with a distinctness and force that
left no doubt of the seriousness of her views or of her ability to
sustain them in acts. What rendered her resolution more impressive was
the ingenuous manner with which she never hesitated to admit Raoul's
power over her affections, leaving no pretext for the commonplace
supposition that the girl was acting.
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