one who has done so great a service to us
Corsicans."

"You are extremely kind, count," said I, "and under other circumstances
there is nothing I should like better than to remain your guest as long
as I could find a decent excuse for so doing; but my ship, the `Juno,'
has gone to the north end of the island, where we all expect there will
be some very smart work shortly, and I would not miss being with her for
anything I could name."

"Ha, ha! not very complimentary to us, eh, Francesca?" laughed my host.
"This young fire-eating English sailor-officer would rather be where his
brains would be ever in jeopardy than enjoying the _dolce far niente_ up
here among the hills. What very pugnacious animals you Englishmen are,
to be sure!

"But do not fear, my dear boy, nothing will be done there yet for a
little while, and, if you lake great care of yourself, it is quite
possible you may yet be able to rejoin the `Juno' in time to get your
full share of the hard knocks to be had there, and which will doubtless
be plentiful enough to suit even the most impetuous of your countrymen."

"Which do you think will be my quickest way to rejoin my ship, when I am
able to do so--by land, or by water?" I inquired.

"By water, I should say, certainly," replied the count. "The entire
island is in a perfect ferment, and you would find travelling by land a
slow and wearisome as well as a highly dangerous process. We are
perfectly quiet here, it is true, our situation being an isolated one,
and in the very heart of the hills; but in and about all the towns the
French troops literally swarm, while the woods and more secluded
villages are haunted either by bands of Corsican insurgents or banditti,
both of which would be likely to regard a stranger with as much
suspicion as the French; and although you might be able to travel for a
few miles to the northward from here in comparative safety, you would
find your difficulties increase with every additional mile of your
advance. And it is only fair to mention that I cannot assure you of
absolute safety even here. I have reason to believe that I am very
strongly suspected by the French of being favourable to the
insurrectionary movement now in progress--as indeed I may admit to you
that I am, my brother being in command of the insurgents--and I feel
sure that, could a particle of direct evidence be secured against me, my
arrest would instantly be attempted. This I should stoutly resist i