midnight
The captain of the Vengeance , upon going forward to see what the strange thing might be , was greatly astonished at being hailed as follows : ` Ship ahoy . For the love of Heaven stop and take on board two helpless women , who have but just escaped from the pirates . ' This request was speedily acceded to , the sails of the Vengeance were hove aback , and the next moment Arthur Huntington , accompanied by Ellen Armstrong and the pirate 's wife , were safe upon her deck , where the former lost no time in making the captain of the Vengeance acquainted with the events which had that day transpired , whilst Elvira volunteered to direct the officer who had been entrusted with the command of the boats , to the pirate 's palace , which otherwise he might not have found . Before midnight , the whole party who had landed upon the island in the morning , met each other once again , upon the deck of the Vengeance , and many and sincere were the thanks they returned to Heaven for their deliverance out of the murderous hands of the pirate of the Roanoke . * * * * * Five years after the occurrence of the singular events above narrated , the mansion of Lord Armstrong , situated near the mouth of the Roanoke river , in the province of North Carolina , was brilliantly illuminated , as if for a season of great rejoicing . And such indeed was the fact . Soon after night-fall a gay party had assembled in the earl 's parlor , and shortly afterwards entered Henry Huntington , holding by the hand the fair and stately Mary Hamilton , immediately followed by his brother Arthur and sweet Ellen Armstrong , the whole party being succeeded by a clergyman , attired in the sacerdotal robes of the church of Rome .