, in her earnest way; "it has
carried the fleets of all antiquity. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the
Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, and the Romans passed to and fro
across it; the Apostles sailed over it; yet it looks as fresh and young
and untraversed as though created yesterday."

[Illustration: MONACO]

"It certainly is the fairest water in the world," said Janet. "It must
be the reflection of heaven."

"It is the proportion of salt," said the Professor, who had come back
around the rock corner on the knobs. "A larger amount of salt is held in
solution in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic. It is a very deep
body of water, too, along this coast: at Nice it was found to be three
thousand feet deep only a few yards from the shore."

"These Mediterranean sailors are such cowards," said Inness. "At the
first sign of a storm they all come scudding in. If the Phoenicians
were like them, another boyhood illusion is gone! However, since they
demolished William Tell, I have not much cared."

"The Mediterranean sailors of the past were probably, like those of the
present, obliged to come scudding in," said Verney, "because the winds
were so uncertain and variable. They use lateen-sails for the same
reason, because they can be let down by the run; all the coasting xebecs
and feluccas use them."

"Xebecs and feluccas--delicious words!" said Janet.

"I still maintain that they are cowards," resumed Inness. "The other
day, when there was that capful of wind, you know, twenty of these
delicious xebecs came hurrying into our little port, running into each
other in their haste, and crowding together in the little pool like
frightened chickens under a hen's wings. And they were not all delicious
xebecs, either; there were some good-sized sea-going vessels among them,
brig-rigged in front with the seven or eight small square sails they
string up one above the other, and a towel out to windward."

"The winds of Mentone are wizards," said Margaret; "they never come from
the point they seem to come from. If they blow full in your face from
the east, make up your mind that they come directly from the west. They
are enchanted."

"They are turned aside by the slopes of the mountains," said Baker,
practically.

"But the Mediterranean has not lived up to its reputation, after all,"
said Janet. "I expected to see fleets of nautilus, and I have not seen
one. And not a porpoise!"

"For porpoises," said Miss Graves, who had knotted