d when they
realised that we were in earnest, they buzzed with excitement like
swarming bees. Everyone directly or indirectly concerned argued at the
top of his voice, and embroidered his arguments with gestures, nobody
paying the slightest attention to anybody else. We didn't even ask
permission to go on one of the big passenger steamers, for we knew it
would be no use; but there's a little sea-chick of a thing called _La
Sirena_, which plies back and forth every day with provisions, luggage,
and passengers, to whom cheapness is an object. She was our prey; and as
nobody had happened to make a law against transporting motor-cars,
simply because nobody had ever thought of taking anything so abnormal
since Tiberius used to send his chariots, we could not be restrained.

All the loafers in Naples collected on the quay, and I don't believe
anything would have been done for us if Brown hadn't calmly begun to
widen the gangway. He had suggested that I should go over in the morning
with Aunt Mary on the North German Lloyd that takes the trippers (as he
calls them) over for the Blue Grotto, and lunch. But I didn't see it in
that light, for I wanted the adventure. Aunt Mary _didn't_ want it at
any price, so she was packed off by herself; and when the Lightning
Conductor slowly drove the car on board the little _Sirena_ I was by his
side. There was a moment of awestruck silence on the quay; but when
Brown had gently man[oe]uvred Balzac into position in a clear space on
deck, the murmurs of doubt and disapproval turned into a burst of
delighted wonder. Brown and I felt like "variety" artistes being
applauded for a clever turn, and the appropriate thing would have been
to bow and kiss our hands.

But all this was nothing to what was in store for us at the Grande
Marina at Capri. If we had gone in one of the bigger steamers, we should
have had to get the automobile into a small boat, or perhaps lash it
somehow on to two boats; but the _Sirena_ is so small that she can come
up along the landing-place, which was one reason why, after Brown had
made inquiries, he was willing to go with the fowls and vegetables. The
nearer we got to the island, the more beautiful it looked, and as we
came in Brown was telling me things about Tiberius' palaces and where
they had stood, when suddenly a shout went up from the quay. A group of
stalwart women, clustered together there, were laughing and pointing at
our car. They belonged to a race of Amazo