The soldiers, who thought of nothing but their
newly-acquired wealth, allowed him to do as he pleased; and having
hastily collected as many cocoa-nuts as they could, to add to their
stock of provisions, before noon Philip and Krantz had embarked, and
made sail in the peroqua, leaving the soldiers with their knives again
drawn, and so busy in their angry altercation as to be heedless of
their departure. "There will be the same scene over again, I expect," observed Krantz,
as the vessel parted swiftly from the shore. "I have little doubt of it; observe, even now they are at blows and
stabs." "If I were to name that spot, it should be the '_Accursed Isle_.'" "Would not any other be the same, with so much to inflame the passions
of men?" "Assuredly: what a curse is gold!" "And what a blessing!" replied Krantz. "I am sorry Pedro is left with
them." "It is their destiny," replied Philip; "so let's think no more of
them. Now what do you propose? With this vessel, small as she is, we
may sail over these seas in safety; and we have, I imagine, provisions
sufficient for more than a month." "My idea is to run into the track of the vessels going to the
westward, and obtain a passage to Goa." "And if we do not meet with any, we can at all events proceed up the
Straits as far as Pulo Penang without risk. There we may safely remain
until a vessel passes." "I agree with you; it is our best, nay our only place; unless, indeed,
we were to proceed to Cochin, where junks are always leaving for Goa." "But that would be out of our way, and the junks cannot well pass us
in the Straits without their being seen by us." They had no difficulty in steering their course; the islands by day,
and the clear stars by night, were their compass. It is true that
they did not follow the more direct track, but they followed the more
secure, working up through the smooth waters, and gaining to the
northward more than to the west. Many times were they chased by the
Malay proas, which infested the islands, but the swiftness of their
little peroqua was their security; indeed the chase was, generally
speaking, abandoned, as soon as the smallness of the vessel was made
out by the pirates, who expected that little or no booty was to be
gained. That Amine and Philip's mission was the constant theme of their
discourse, may easily be imagined. One morning, as they were sailing
between the isles, with less wind than usual, Philip observed:--

"Krantz, you said that there were events in your own life, or
connected with it, which would corroborate the mysterious tale I
confided to you. Will you now tell me to what you referred?" "Certainly," replied Krantz; "I have often thought of doing so, but
one circumstance or another has hitherto prevented me; this is,
however, a fitting opportunity. Prepare therefore to listen to a
strange story, quite as strange, perhaps, as your own. "I take it for granted, that you have heard people speak of the Hartz
Mountains," observed Krantz. "I have never heard people speak of them that I can recollect,"
replied Philip; "but I have read of them in some book, and of the
strange things which have occurred there." "It is indeed a wild region," rejoined Krantz, "and many strange tales
are told of it; but, strange as they are, I have good reason for
believing them to be true. I have told you, Philip, that I fully
believe in your communion with the other world--that I credit the
history of your father, and the lawfulness of your mission; for that
we are surrounded, impelled, and worked upon by beings different in
their nature from ourselves, I have had full evidence, as you will
acknowledge, when I state what has occurred in my own family. Why such
malevolent beings as I am about to speak of should be permitted to
interfere with us, and punish, I may say, comparatively unoffending
mortals, is beyond my comprehension; but that they are so permitted is
most certain." "The great principle of all evil fulfils his work of evil; why, then,
not the other minor spirits of the same class?" inquired Philip. "What
matters it to us, whether we are tried by, and have to suffer from,
the enmity of our fellow-mortals, or whether we are persecuted by
beings more powerful and more malevolent than ourselves? We know
that we have to work out our salvation, and that we shall be judged
according to our strength; if then there be evil spirits who delight
to oppress man, there surely must be, as Amine asserts, good spirits,
whose delight is to do him service. Whether, then, we have to struggle
against our passions only, or whether we have to struggle not only
against our passions, but also the dire influence of unseen enemies,
we ever struggle with the same odds in our favour, as the good are
stronger than the evil which we combat. In either case we are on the
'vantage ground, whether, as in the first, we fight the good cause
single-handed, or as in the second, although opposed, we have the host
of Heaven ranged on our side. Thus are the scales of Divine Justice
evenly balanced, and man is still a free agent, as his own virtuous or
vicious propensities must ever decide whether he shall gain or lose
the victory." "Most true," replied Krantz, "and now to my history. "My father was not born, or originally a resident, in the Hartz
Mountains; he was the serf of an Hungarian nobleman, of great
possessions, in Transylvania; but, although a serf, he was not by
any means a poor or illiterate man. In fact, he was rich, and his
intelligence and respectability were such, that he had been raised
by his lord to the stewardship; but, whoever may happen to be born a
serf, a serf must he remain, even though he become a wealthy man; such
was the condition of my father. My father had been married for about
five years; and, by his marriage, had three children--my eldest
brother Caesar, myself (Hermann), and a sister named Marcella. You
know, Philip, that Latin is still the language spoken in that country;
and that will account for our high sounding names. My mother was a
very beautiful woman, unfortunately more beautiful than virtuous: she
was seen and admired by the lord of the soil; my father was sent away
upon some mission; and, during his absence, my mother, flattered by
the attentions, and won by the assiduities, of this nobleman,
yielded to his wishes. It so happened that my father returned very
unexpectedly, and discovered the intrigue. The evidence of my mother's
shame was positive: he surprised her in the company of her seducer! Carried away by the impetuosity of his feelings, he watched the
opportunity of a meeting taking place between them, and murdered both
his wife and her seducer.