ey were deliberating as to what route to follow, a boat came up
to Murat's vessel. Captain Pernice was on board with a lieutenant. They
came to ask the king's permission to board his ship, not wishing to
remain on Courrand's, for in their opinion he was a traitor.

Murat sent to fetch him, and in spite of his protestations he was made to
descend into a boat with fifty men, and the boat was moored to the
vessel. The order was carried out at once, and the little squadron
advanced, coasting along the shores of Calabria without losing sight of
them; but at ten o'clock in the evening, just as they came abreast of the
Gulf of Santa-Eufemia, Captain Courrand cut the rope which moored his
boat to the vessel, and rowed away from the fleet.

Murat had thrown himself on to his bed without undressing; they brought
him the news.

He rushed up to the deck, and arrived in time to see the boat, which was
fleeing in the direction of Corsica, grow small and vanish in the
distance. He remained motionless, not uttering a cry, giving no signs of
rage; he only sighed and let his head fall on his breast: it was one more
leaf falling from the exhausted tree of his hopes.

General Franceschetti profited by this hour of discouragement to advise
him not to land in Calabria, and to go direct to Trieste, in order to
claim from Austria the refuge which had been offered.

The king was going through one of those periods of extreme exhaustion, of
mortal depression, when courage quite gives way: he refused flatly at
first, and there at last agreed to do it.

Just then the general perceived a sailor lying on some coils of ropes,
within hearing of all they said; he interrupted himself, and pointed him
out to Murat.

The latter got up, went to see the man, and recognised Luidgi; overcome
with exhaustion, he had fallen asleep on deck. The king satisfied
himself that the sleep was genuine, and besides he had full confidence in
the man. The conversation, which had been interrupted for a moment, was
renewed: it was agreed that without saying anything about the new plans,
they would clear Cape Spartivento and enter the Adriatic; then the king
and the general went below again to the lower deck.

The next day, the 8th October, they found themselves abreast of Pizzo,
when Joachim, questioned by Barbara as to what he proposed to do, gave
the order to steer for Messina. Barbara answered that he was ready to
obey, but that they were in need of food and