nna; but as she could not make herself understood, she
seldom remained long together in the room. Had she even not felt
herself a prisoner, the day would have passed wearily away with so few
means of amusing herself at her disposal. She examined the books which
had been placed on the shelves: they were mostly Italian, though she
recognised a few as having been on board the _Zodiac_. In vain,
however, she tried to give her attention to them, for whenever she did
so her thoughts wandered away till they were lost in the painful
reflection which her position naturally suggested. Among her luggage
were the means of employing herself in such fancy-work as was the
fashion in those days, but she soon threw it down in despair, as rather
increasing than relieving her anxiety.

Such was not the case with Marianna, who quickly recovered her spirits,
and plied her needle with her usual diligence, and laughed and sang, as
if nothing out of the way had occurred. One of her great sources of
pleasure was, in the intervals of her work, to look through a telescope
which Paolo had placed in the room; it was on a brass stand, and had
been, probably, among the cargo of some vessel plundered by Zappa or his
associates. The view, as I have said, from the window, extended over a
wide range of sea, along the greater part of the east side of the island
and into the interior; and a glimpse could just be caught of the mouth
of the harbour, though the vessels lying there were not visible. It was
in the afternoon of the second day after their arrival that Marianna was
amusing herself with looking through the glass, when she uttered an
exclamation of delight.

"Oh, signora, signora--do come, and look!" she cried. "There is a
vessel coming to the island; for I see her white sails just rising out
of the water. She is coming to take us home--I know she is."

Ada flew to the telescope--her heart beating with agitation at the very
mention of release, though her hopes were not so sanguine as those of
her damsel. She looked earnestly for some time at the sail which
Marianna had observed; but, as she withdrew her eye from the tube, she
shook her head with a look of disappointment.

"The sail looks very small," she said. "So I fear, Marianna, it cannot
be a ship of war, and no other can afford us assistance."

"Oh, but it is yet a long way off, signora," urged the Maltese girl.
"When it comes nearer it will appear much bigger, as I have often
o