“In what?”
“Well, in this little voyage?”
“I really do not know, and dare not guess,” I answered.
“Well, to-morrow there will be a bridal couple,” he said, and smiled. “They’ll be married.”
“But where’s the church?”
“What is the Fleet church for? They’ll get on the Admiralty ship, and there be spliced in a trice. But of course it was only for that she consented to go.…”
“Then it is true?”
“Well! don’t you see it yourself? The count seems to be on wings; it seemed too good to be true. So, you see, the fairy tale will soon become a true event.”
At Livorno, the Count Orloff was met by the commander of our squadron, Admiral Samuel Carlovitch Greig. Afterwards the count and Princess paid him a visit, and then called on the English consul, drove out with him, his wife, and a whole circle of visitors into the country, and then went for a sail in boats with music; everywhere they were followed by a curious mob. In the evening of the second day of their arrival at Livorna, the count and the Princess went to the opera. On their return, I noticed in the vestibule of the splendid marble palace assigned to the count another intriguing Greek also serving in our fleet, Joseph Michaelevitch Ribas, or, as he called himself, De Ribas. He also somewhat resembled Christianok, being as black as a beetle; but being taller and not so nimble, we used to call the pair of them the Beetle and Cockchafer. De Ribas, as I afterwards learnt, had been engaged even sooner than I or Christianok, having been sent to Venice to collect information about the Princess.
“Good-bye, priest,” said the count to Ribas, laughing and not noticing me. “Mind, don’t forget the vestments.”