en startled by it; for she went below almost immediately. Shortly
after Orso also retired. As soon as he had left the deck the maid
reappeared, and, having cross-questioned the sailor, carried back the
following information to her mistress. The _ballata_ which had been
broken off on Orso's appearance had been composed on the occasion of
the death of his father, Colonel della Rebbia, who had been murdered two
years previously. The sailor had no doubt at all that Orso was coming
back to Corsica _per fare la vendetta_, such was his expression, and he
affirmed that before long there would be _fresh meat_ to be seen in
the village of Pietranera. This national expression, being interpreted,
meant that Signor Orso proposed to murder two or three individuals
suspected of having assassinated his father--individuals who had,
indeed, been prosecuted on that account, but had come out of the trial
as white as snow, for they were hand and glove with the judges, lawyers,
prefect, and gendarmes.

"There is no justice in Corsica," added the sailor, "and I put much more
faith in a good gun than in a judge of the Royal Court. If a man has
an enemy he must choose one of the three S's." (A national expression
meaning _schioppetto_, _stiletto_, _strada_--that is, _gun_, _dagger_,
or _flight_.)

These interesting pieces of information wrought a notable change in Miss
Lydia's manner and feeling with regard to Lieutenant della Rebbia.
From that moment he became a person of importance in the romantic
Englishwoman's eyes.

His careless air, his frank and good humour, which had at first
impressed her so unfavourably, now seemed to her an additional merit,
as being proofs of the deep dissimulation of a strong nature, which will
not allow any inner feeling to appear upon the surface. Orso seemed to
her a sort of Fieschi, who hid mighty designs under an appearance of
frivolity, and, though it is less noble to kill a few rascals than to
free one's country, still a fine deed of vengeance is a fine thing, and
besides, women are rather glad to find their hero is not a politician.
Then Miss Nevil remarked for the first time that the young lieutenant
had large eyes, white teeth, an elegant figure, that he was
well-educated, and possessed the habits of good society. During the
following day she talked to him frequently, and found his conversation
interesting. He was asked many questions about his own country, and
described it well. Corsica, which he had