universe ought to
cause, is suddenly evoked at the aspect of an unknown wonder of
creation: our whole being is shaken by this power of nature, in whose
social combinations we have been so long absorbed; we feel that the
greatest mysteries in this world do not all consist in man, and that he
is threatened or protected by a force independent of himself, in
obedience to laws which he cannot penetrate. Oswald and Corinne proposed
to ascend Mount Vesuvius, and the peril of this enterprise gave an
additional charm to a project which they were to execute together.

Chapter iii.

There was at that time in the port of Naples, an English man-of-war in
which divine service was performed every Sunday. The captain, and all
the English who were at Naples, invited Lord Nelville to come the
following day; he consented without thinking at first whether he should
take Corinne with him, and how he should present her to his
fellow-countrymen. He was tormented by this disquietude the whole night.
As he was walking with Corinne, on the following morning near the port
and was about to advise her not to go on board, they saw an English
long-boat rowed by ten sailors, clad in white, and wearing black velvet
caps, on which was embroidered silver leopards. A young officer landed
from it, and accosting Corinne by the name of Lady Nelville, begged to
have the honour of conducting her to the ship. At the name of Lady
Nelville Corinne was embarrassed--she blushed and cast down her eyes.
Oswald appeared to hesitate a moment: then suddenly taking her hand, he
said to her in English,--"Come, my dear,"--and she followed him.

The noise of the waves and the silence of the sailors, who neither moved
nor spoke but in pursuance of their duty, and who rapidly conducted the
bark over that sea which they had so often traversed, gave birth to
reverie. Besides, Corinne dared not question Lord Nelville on what had
just passed. She sought to conjecture his purpose, not thinking (which
is however the more probable) that he had none, and that he yielded to
each new circumstance. One moment she imagined that he was conducting
her to divine service in order to espouse her, and this idea caused her
at the time more fear than happiness: it appeared to her that she was
going to quit Italy and return to England, where she had suffered so
much. The severity of manners and customs in that country returned to
her mind, and love itself could not entirely triumph over