rl with intense feeling;
then he folded her to his heart once more, blessing her audibly again
and again. While thus employed the Foudroyant's bell struck once, and
then those of all the surrounding ships, English and Neapolitan,
repeated the stroke. This, Caraccioli, a seaman himself, well knew
denoted that the time was half-past four; five being the hour named for
his execution. He felt it necessary, therefore, to dismiss his new-found
relative, that he might pass a few more minutes alone with his
confessor. The parting was solemn but tender, and as Ghita left the
cabin her condemned grandfather felt as he would had he taken leave for
ever of one whom he had long loved, and whose virtues had been a solace
to him from the hour of his birth.

The deck of the Minerva presented a sorrowful scene, Although the
prisoner had been condemned by a court of Neapolitan officers, the trial
was had under the British ensign, and the feeling of the public was with
the prisoner. There existed no necessity for the hurry in which
everything had been done; no immediate danger pressed, and an example
would have been more impressive had there been less of the appearance of
a desire for personal vengeance, and more of the calm deliberation of
justice in the affair. Ghita's connection with the prisoner could not be
even suspected; but as it was known that she had been in the cabin, and
believed that she felt an interest in the condemned, the officers
manifested an interest in her wishes and too evident emotions. An
immense throng of boats had assembled around the ship; for, hasty as had
been the proceedings, the tidings that Francesco Caraccioli was to be
hanged for treason spread like wildfire; and scarce a craft of proper
size was left within the mole, so eager was the desire to witness that
which was to occur. Either in the confusion, or bribed by money, the man
who had brought off Carlo Giuntotardi and his niece was no longer to be
found, and the means of quitting the ship seemed momentarily to be lost.

"Here is a boat close to our gangway," said the officer of the deck, who
had kindly interested himself in behalf of so interesting a girl, "with
a single man in it; a few grani would induce him to put you ashore."

The fellow in the boat was of the class of the lazzaroni, wearing a
clean cotton shirt, a Phrygian cap, and cotton trousers that terminated
at the knees, leaving his muscular arms and legs entirely bare; models
for the statu