“Meanwhile the other boat had come nearer.  It was more simply fashioned, and carried youths only.  The colors of the first boat were red, but the crew of this one wore green.  They stopped at sight of the others, nodded greetings to the maidens, and made signs that they wished to become better acquainted.  Thereupon the liveliest of the girls took a rose from her bosom, and roguishly held it on high, as if to ask whether such a gift would be welcome.  She was answered with enthusiasm.  The red youths looked on, sullen and contemptuous, but could not object when several of the maidens proposed to throw to the poor strangers at least enough to keep them from starving.  A basket of oranges—­probably only yellow balls—­stood on deck; and now began a charming display, accompanied by music from the quay.

“One of the girls tossed from light fingers a couple of oranges; back they came from fingers in the other boat, as light.  On they went, back and forth, and as one girl after another joined in the sport dozens of oranges were soon flying through the air.  Only one, the beauty in the middle of the boat, took no part, except to look on, curiously, from her comfortable couch.  We could not sufficiently admire the skill on both sides.  The boats circled slowly about, turning now the prow, now the sides, toward each other.  There were about two dozen balls continually in the air, yet they seemed many more, sometimes falling in regular figures, sometimes rising high in lofty curves, almost never going astray, but seeming to be attracted by some mysterious power in the outstretched hands.

“The ear was quite as well entertained as the eye—­with charming melodies, Sicilian airs, dances, Saltorelli, Canzoni a ballo—­a long medley woven together like a garland.  The youngest princess, an impulsive little creature, about my own age, kept nodding her head in time to the music.  Her smile and her eyes with their long lashes I can see to this day.

“Now let me briefly describe the rest of the entertainment, though it has nothing to do with my affair in the garden.  You could hardly imagine anything prettier.  The play with the balls gradually ceased, and then, all of a sudden, one of the youths of the green colors drew out of the water a net with which he seemed to have been playing.  To the general surprise, a huge shining fish lay in it.  The boy’s companions sprang to seize it, but it slipped from their hands to the sea, as if it had really been alive.  This was only a ruse, however, to lure the red youths from their boat; and they fell into the trap.  They, as well as those of the green, threw themselves into the water after the fish.  So began a lively and most amusing chase.  At last the green swimmers, seeing their opportunity, boarded the red boat, which now had only the maidens to defend it.  The noblest of the enemy, as handsome as a god, hastened joyfully to the beautiful maiden, who received him with rapture,