"'We would have wished,' answered one among them, 'O great captain, that you had not given us the counsel you did, that you might have seen how entirely we feel as you do. Restore the lady her necklace; the fame we seek shall need no collar to restrain or limit its bounds.'
"I was very well pleased with this reply, and Sulpicia marvelled at their disinterestedness. Finally she asked if I would give her twelve of my men to protect her, and some mariners who could take charge of the ship, and steer her to Lithuania; I agreed, and the men I selected were well pleased to be able to do so kind an action.
"Sulpicia gave us some excellent wines, and the most exquisite sweetmeats. The wind blew fair for both her course and our own, for which as yet we knew no positive destination or haven. We took our leave of her—she knew my name, and also that of Carino and Solercio;—she pressed our hands in hers, and with her eyes she thanked the rest, and bade them adieu. She shed many tears, caused by the mingled feelings of sorrow and thankfulness; sorrow for her husband's death, and joy in finding herself safe and free from the hands of those she had supposed were pirates, and thus we parted. I forgot to mention that I returned the necklace to Sulpicia, who received it with reluctance, and only because of my absolute refusal to accept it; she even seemed half to consider my returning it as an affront.
"I then held a consultation with my men as to what course we should take, and decided to go as the wind impelled us, because we were thus more likely to fall in with other vessels.
"The night came on serene and clear, and I, calling one of the fishermen who was a mariner, and who served as the master and head pilot, to take the helm, seated myself on the forecastle, and began to watch the heavens with deep attention."
"Now would I lay any wager," said Maurice, aside to his daughter, "that Persiles is going to give us a description of the celestial hemisphere, as if it signifies to us, one atom, what the motion of the heavenly bodies might be; for my part I heartily wish he would bring his story to an end, for the desire that I have to get away from this place is such, that I really cannot trouble myself with knowing which are fixed, and which, wandering stars, and the more because I myself know everything on that subject that he can possibly tell me."
Whilst Maurice and Transila were speaking thus in a whisper, Periander, who had paused to take breath, went on with his tale.
