CHAPTER XXIV. THE YACHT
The English girl broke out into pretty speeches of gladness when shecaught sight of her little ship. "Dance, graceful naiad," ejaculatedJulia, when she beheld it upon the blue waters of the Mediterranean,"and spread your wings to bear away my friends to a place of safety.Who says I may not love thee as a friend, when I owe to thee so manyglorious and free days? I love thee when the waters are like a mirrorand reflect thy beauty upon their glassy bosom, and thou rockest lazilyto the sigh of the gentle evening breeze which scarcely swells thysails. I love thee still more when thou plungest, like a steed ofNeptune, through the billows' snorting foam, driven by the storm, makingthy way through the waves, and fearing no terror of the tempest. Nowstretch thy wings for thy mistress, and bear her friends safe from thiswicked shore!"
Julia's companions were in the mood to echo this spirit of joy andexultation, and eagerly gazed at the little vessel.
Not daring, however, to excite suspicion by conducting the whole of herparty at once into Porto d'Anzo, Julia decided upon leaving Silvia andher daughter under the protection of Orazio, who would have been cut inpieces before he would have allowed them to be injured or insulted.They were to wait in a wood a short distance from the port, while Julia,taking with her Manlio, who acted the part of coachman, and Aurelia, asher lady's maid, passed to the ship to make preparations to fetch theothers. Capo d'Anzo forms the southern, and Civita Vecchia the northernlimits of the dangerous and inhospitable Roman shore. The navigatorsteers his vessel warily when he puts out to sea in winter on thisstormy coast, especially in a south-west wind, which has wrecked many agallant ship there. The mouth of the Tiber, is only navigable by vesselsthat do not draw more than four or five feet of water, and this onlyduring spring. On the left bank of the Tiber near Mount Circeli, dweltof old the war-like Volsci, who gave the Romans no little trouble beforethose universal conquerors succeeded in subjugating them. The ruins oftheir ancient capital, Ardea, bear witness to its ancient prosperity.
The promontory, Capo d'Anzo, both forms and gives its name to the portin which was stationed our heroine's yacht, awaiting her orders. Thearrival of Julia, if not a delight and fete day for the priests, whohate the English, because they are both "heretics" and "liberals," wascertainly one for the crew of the _Seagull_, to whom she was alwaysaffable and kind. The sailor, exposed to noble risks nearly all hislife, is well worthy of woman's esteem, and nowhere will she find atruer devotion to her sex than among the rough but loyal and generoustars.
Going on board, the pretty English lady, after returning theaffectionate and respectful greeting of her countrymen and servants,descended to the cabin and consulted with her captain, an old sea-dog(Thompson by name), as to the best means of embarking the fugitives.
"Aye, aye, Miss," said he, glad to escape his enforced idleness, as soonas he saw how the land lay; "leave the poor creatures to me; I'll find away of shipping them safe out of this hole!"
And in less than an hour the captain, true to his word, weighed anchor,and sailed triumphantly out to sea with our exiles on board, who, thoughshedding a few natural tears as the coast faded rapidly from their view,were inexpressibly thankful to feel that they were at last out of theclutches of their revengeful persecutors.