“Yes, I have.”
“I have only seen your secretary.”
“Oh, I am sure they are here; I sent them on board this morning before nine o’clock, previous to going to Pera. Pray how is Miss Nightingale?”
“She will be on deck directly. By-the-bye, is Mademoiselle a good sailor?”
“Tolerably good; with this weather no one need fear being ill at sea,” said I, “though I hear the Black Sea is so very changeable, and that a tremendous hurricane often comes up suddenly even in the middle of summer. At all events, we have a good start.”
We were then passing between lower Scutari and the Sultan’s palace, and facing us was the Sound of the Bosphorus, presenting a most delightful view of the European and the Asiatic shores. When I observed to Mr. Bracebridge that it was a pity Miss Nightingale was not on deck, he answered, “You’re right; I will go and fetch her.”
A few minutes afterwards that lady made her appearance.
“What a delightful day! and did you ever see a finer panorama?”
“Never, Monsieur Soyer.”
“What a glorious mine of subjects for a Claude Lorraine, mademoiselle! It is much to be regretted that he never visited these Moslem shores.”