Mademoiselle Virginie

The progress of the next day presented little variety. “We still had nothing but blue sky and sea to look upon, when we sought distraction beyond the bulwarks of the steamer. Mademoiselle Virginie was studying navigation with the Commissaire, in his cabin; she was there nearly all day. Pauline was incessantly employed upon a piece of crochet-work, which lasted all the journey, and got very, dirty towards the end of it —being one of those fearfully uncomfortable things called anti-macassars, which hang on the backs of chairs, to make your hair rough and tumble over your head. About four o’clock is the afternoon we caught sight of Greece — high up over the larboard bow; and at dinner-time a pretty stiff breeze came on, and the boat began to ride, which had the admirable effect of keeping the foreigners rather more quiet at table; indeed, one or two left it. At dusk, we passed Cerigo, one of our English possessions — a melancholy, reddish-rock island. It was difficult to conceive a more dreary time than the officer must have had of it who was stationed there with his handful of troops. I longed to have seen some small boat, by which I could have sent him a bundle of Galignanis, and a few numbers of Punch, that we had on board.

The opera airs bringing up thoughts of Grisi

Then the little concert on deck began again — the opera airs bringing up thoughts of Grisi, and Covent Garden, and the London season, here, out and away, at one of the gates of the Archipelago; and then, at nine o’clock, we all began to think of retiring rose festival tour. I did not try the berths again; but the Maltese lent me a coat, and lying down on this, with my knapsack, as before, for a pillow, I was soon comfortably curled up with my own thoughts. I was, however, obliged to silence two runaway patriots from some of the Italian States, who had been arguing loudly for an hour upon the 2 affairs of Rome, without any chance, of approaching a conclusion. When this was done, and the usual quantity of fowls had been killed, as on the preceding night, everything became quiet, and I was soon wandering in the world of dreams.