The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Spirit in Prison, by Robert Hichens

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Title: A Spirit in Prison

Author: Robert Hichens

Posting Date: January 2, 2009 [EBook #2994]
Release Date: December, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SPIRIT IN PRISON ***

Produced by Emma Dudding, John Bickers, and Dagny

A SPIRIT IN PRISON

By Robert Hichens

Original Transcriber's Note: This text was prepared from a 1908 edition,
published by Harper & Brothers, New York and London.

A SPIRIT IN PRISON

CHAPTER I

Somewhere, not far off on the still sea that held the tiny islet in a
warm embrace, a boy's voice was singing "Napoli Bella."

Vere heard the song as she sat in the sun with her face set towards
Nisida and the distant peak of Ischia; and instinctively she shifted her
position, and turned her head, looking towards the calm and untroubled
water that stretched between her and Naples. For the voice that sang
of the beautiful city was coming towards her from the beautiful city,
hymning the siren it had left perhaps but two hours ago.

On his pedestal set upon rock San Francesco seemed to be attentive to
the voice. He stood beyond the sheltered pool of the sea that divided
the islet from the mainland, staring across at Vere as if he envied her;
he who was rooted in Italy and deprived of her exquisite freedom.
His beard hung down to his waist, his cross protruded over his left
shoulder, and his robe of dusty grayish brown touched his feet, which
had never wandered one step since he was made, and set there to keep
watch over the fishermen who come to sleep under the lee of the island
by night.

Now it was brilliant daylight. The sun shone vividly over the Bay of
Naples, over the great and vital city, over Vesuvius, the long line of
the land towards Sorrento, over Capri with its shadowy mountain, and
Posilippo with its tree-guarded villas. And in the sharp radiance of May
the careless voice of the fisher-boy sang the familiar song that Vere
had always known and seldom heeded.

To-day, why she did not know, Vere listened to it attentively. Something
in the sound of the voice caught h