“I see it all, now, Raoul,” was the answer, “though we did not on quitting the shore; but we would not turn back, having once come upon the Bay.  I was the first in St. Agata to discover the evil that had befallen thee; from that moment I have never ceased to entreat my uncle, until he has consented to come hither.”

“With what motive, Ghita?” asked Raoul, with sparkling eyes—­“at length thou relentest—­wilt become my wife!  In my adversity, thou rememberest thou art a woman!”

“Not exactly that, dear Raoul; but I cannot desert thee, altogether, in this strait.  The same objection exists now, I fear, that has ever existed to our union; but that is no reason I should not aid thee.  We have many friends along the heights, here, who will consent to conceal thee; and I have come to carry thee and the American to the shore, until an opportunity offer to get thee to thine own France.”

“What! desert ces braves, Ghita, at a moment like this!—­Not to possess thy hand, dearest girl, could I be guilty of an act so base.”

“Thy situation is not theirs.  The condemnation to death hangs over thee, Raoul; shouldst thou again fall into English hands, there will be no mercy for thee.”

“Assez—­this is no moment for argument.  The English are in motion, and there is barely time for thee to get to a safe distance ere they begin to fire.  Heaven bless thee, Ghita!  This care of thine draws my heart to thee closer than ever; but we must now separate.  Signor Giuntotardi, pull more toward Amalfi.  I see that the English mean to attack us from the side of the land—­pull more toward Amalfi.”

“Thou tellest us this in vain, Raoul,” Ghita quietly but firmly answered.  “We have not come here on an unmeaning errand—­if thou refusest to go with us, we will remain with thee.  These prayers, that thou so despisest, may not prove useless.”

“Ghita!—­this can never be.  We are without cover—­almost without defences—­our vessel is unfit to receive thee, and this affair will be very different from that off Elba.  Thou wouldst not willingly distract my mind with care for thee, at such a moment!”

“We will remain, Raoul.  There may come a moment when thou wilt be glad to have the prayers of believers, God leadeth us hither, either to take thee away, or to remain, and look to thy eternal welfare, amid the din of war.”

Raoul gazed at the beautiful enthusiast with an intensity of love and admiration that even her truthful simplicity had never before excited.  Her mild eyes were kindling with holy ardor, her cheeks were flushed, and something like the radiance of heaven seemed to beam upon her countenance.  The young man felt that time pressed; he saw no hope of overcoming her resolution in season to escape the approaching boats; and it might be that the two would be safer in some nook of the ruins than in attempting to return to the shore.  Then, that never-dying but latent wish to have Ghita with him aided his hasty reasoning, and he decided to permit the girl and her uncle to come upon the islet that he was to defend in person.