Martin Conisbys Vengeance | Page 4

said she softly and glancing up at me
through her hair; "he hath a hook very sharp and bright, in place of his
left hand. You know him? He is your friend--yes?"
"I know him for a cursed pirate and murderer!"
"Moi aussi, mon ami!" said she, fixing me with her great eyes. "I am
pirate, yes--and have used dagger and pistol ere to-day and shall again."
"And wear a woman's shape!"
"Ha--yes, yes!" cried she, gnashing her teeth. "And there's my curse--I
am woman and therefore do hate all women. But my soul is a man's so
do I use all men to my purpose, snare them by my woman's arts and
make of 'em my slaves. See you; there is none of all my lovers but doth
obey me, and so do I rule, with ships and men at my command and
fearing no man--"
"And yet," said I, interrupting, "you came fleeing hither to save your
life from yonder rabblement."
"Tush--these were mostly drunken rogues that knew me not, 'listed but
late from a prize we took and burned. I shall watch them die yet! Soon
shall come Belvedere in the Happy Despatch to my relief, or Rodriquez
of the Vengeance or Rory or Sol--one or other or all shall come
a-seeking me, soon or late. Meantime, I bide here and 'tis well you
stayed me from killing you, for though I love not Englishmen, I love
solitude less, so are you safe from me so long as we be solitary.
Ah--you smile because you are fool and know me not yet! Ah,
ah--mayhap you shall grow wiser anon. But now," said she, rising and
putting away her comb, "bring me where I may eat, for I am famished
with hunger."
"Also you are very foul of blood!" said I.

"Yes," says she soft-voiced, and glancing from me to her stained finery
and back again. "Yes. And is this so great a matter?"
"To-night you murdered a man!"
"I killed him--yes. Cestiforo--he was drunk. And was this so great a
matter?"
"And you--a woman!" said I, marvelling.
"Aye, to my sorrow!" said she, gnashing white teeth, "Yet am I strong
as a man and bolder than most."
"God preserve me from such!" quoth I fervently.
"You--you?" cried she. "What thing are you that seeming man must
blench at a little blood? Are you yourself so innocent, you that know
Tressady o' the Hook?"
"Howbeit I am no murderer, woman."
"Ah--bah!" cried she, with flick of scornful fingers. "Enough of words,
Master Innocent. Bring me where I may eat and bed me till morning."
Thereupon (and mighty unwilling) I brought her into the cave and
lighting two candles of my own contriving, I set before her such viands
as I had, together with bread I had newly baked, and with no word of
thanks this strange, fierce creature fell to eating with a voracity
methought very disgusting.
Now the more I saw of her the more grew my disgust and the end of it
was I determined to put the whole length of the island betwixt us and
that at once. To this end I began collecting such articles as I should
want, as my light hatchet, sword, pistols, etc. I was buckling on my belt
when her voice arrested me, albeit she spoke me very sweetly and soft:
"You go now to your woman--your light of love--yes?"
"There is no woman but yourself," said I, frowning.

"Liar! Then what of this?" and she pointed slender finger; then I saw
that tattered garment lying where I had dropped it and this woman
spurning it with her foot. So I stooped forthwith, and snatching it from
her desecrating touch, folded it across my arm, whereat she fell to
sudden laughter very ill to bear.
"Ah--ah!" said she, softer than before and most hatefully a-smiling, "'tis
for her sake your chin goeth bare and smooth--yes? She is over-nice in
the matter of--"
"I tell you she is gone!" said I in fury.
"Gone--gone, is she? And you alone here, longing but for her return,
through weeks and months and years waiting for her to come back to
you; is not this the truth of it, yes?" Now I, knowing this for very truth,
could but scowl, finding no word to say, whiles this creature nodded
and flashed white teeth in her hateful smile. "You loved this woman,"
said she, "do love her; dead or living, rotting bones or another's delight,
you do love her yet, poor, miserable fool!"
All unheeding, I folded the garment with reverent hands while she
taunted me thus, until, seeing me nothing moved, she fell to rank
vileness, bespattering that pure memory with tongue so shamelessly
foul that I (losing all patience) turned on her at last; but