antom, or rather he looked
like Hyperion. What are you staring at so, George?'

'I do not like this wind,' muttered Captain Cadurcis. 'There it goes.'

'You cannot see the wind, George?'

'Yes, I can, Venetia, and I do not like it at all. Do you see that
black spot flitting like a shade over the sea? It is like the
reflection of a cloud on the water; but there is no cloud. Well, that
is the wind, Venetia, and a very wicked wind too.'

'How strange! Is that indeed the wind?'

'We had better return home,' said Captain Cadurcis I wish they had not
gone to Lavenza.'

'But there is no danger?' said Venetia.

'Danger? No! no danger, but they may get a wet jacket.'

They walked on; but Captain Cadurcis was rather distrait: his eye was
always watching the wind; at last he said, 'I tell you, Venetia, we
must walk quickly; for, by Jove, we are going to have a white squall.'

They hurried their pace, Venetia mentioned her alarm again about the
boat; but her companion reassured her; yet his manner was not so
confident as his words.

A white mist began to curl above the horizon, the blueness of the day
seemed suddenly to fade, and its colour became grey; there was a swell
on the waters that hitherto had been quite glassy, and they were
covered with a scurfy foam.

'I wish I had been with them,' said Captain Cadurcis, evidently very
anxious.

'George, you are alarmed,' said Venetia, earnestly. 'I am sure there
is danger.'

'Danger! How can there be danger, Venetia? Perhaps they are in port by
this time. I dare say we shall find them at Spezzia. I will see you
home and run down to them. Only hurry, for your own sake, for you do
not know what a white squall in the Mediterranean is. We have but a
few moments.'

And even at this very instant, the wind came roaring and rushing with
such a violent gush that Venetia could scarcely stand; George put his
arm round her to support her. The air was filled with thick white
vapour, so that they could no longer see the ocean, only the surf
rising very high all along the coast.

'Keep close to me, Venetia,' said Captain Cadurcis; 'hold my arm and I
will walk first, for we shall not be able to see a yard before us in a
minute. I know where we are. We are above the olive wood, and we shall
soon be in the ravine. These Mediterranean white squalls are nasty
things; I had sooner by half be in a south-wester; for one cannot run
before the wind in this bay, the reefs stretch such a long