“Dear, I heard all, and I wish.”
“Oh, W-Will,” she cried, letting herself be taken into his arms, and weeping at last—“how noble you are!”
“And you will marry me now?” he said hopefully, after the long silent embrace.
“Ah, no,” she sobbed, “I cannot. I love you too well.”
“But, Rusidda, it cannot be true——”
“True it is, alas! I can never give my heart to any one but him, and to him I have given it and shall give it. I shall be his slave, to do what he lists. He shall take me with him,” she cried, with passionate earnestness.
And then pitifulness smote her, for she knew well how Will loved her, and what it was to love with such a love. And she held her peace, for she could give Will no hope. And so presently she passed into her own chamber.
Chapter XXV.—How the Admiral took Naples, and of the Hanging of Caracciolo.
RIGHT glad were we when on June 24th, 1799, we bore up to Naples and anchored in the Bay with a noble fleet of eighteen sail of the line, which were joined on the next day by two-and-twenty gun-and-mortar vessels, that had been lying at the Islands. These sail of the line for the most part had assembled off Maritimo, the little island at the west point of Sicily, where the fate of a Punic War was settled in the battle of the Ægatian Islands, so fatal to Carthage. Maritimo, the chaplain was careful to impress upon us, was one of them. We left Palermo for Naples the first time on June 13th, with the Hereditary Prince on board to accompany the Admiral, and represent his father at the imminent occupation of Naples. But that evening of the 13th, at nine o’clock, a lieutenant arrived who had been landed westward of Palermo by the sloop of war Petrel, which had not been able to beat up to the city against the stiff easterly breeze, any more than we had been able to get away from it. So that there was nothing for it but to put back to Palermo on the 15th, land the Prince and all the troops we had taken on board, and on to Maritimo, whither the Admiral bade Captain Ball from Malta and Captain Troubridge from Naples to join him with all their ships. I believe the Petrel carried the orders to Captain Ball to raise the Malta blockade; and to Naples, there being no fear of the enemy, there was a constant run of small craft. Our news was that the French had passed the Straits, and been seen off Minorca—nineteen of the line. On the 20th we had a despatch from Admiral Lord St. Vincent that twelve British ships of the line had entered the Straits from the Channel, and were standing for Mahon, whence they would at once start off in search of Bruix, who had disappeared. We learnt also that Lord Keith was the new Commander-in-chief, Lord St. Vincent having resigned.