388. The Cup of Honours. [Ocr.. 
of a Mediterranean storm are proverbial; the breeze had now become a 
fierce succession of gusts that tore up the bosom of the waters: guns 
of distress were heard from time to time, but all earthly sounds were 
speedily extinguished, in the incessant roar of the thunder. . The: only 
light was from the long flashes that burst round the horizon, throwing 
a blaze of peculiar and frightful redness oyer the earth and. sea The 
young Italian gazed from his height on this conflict of the elements with 
strange delight: it seemed to have renewed life within him; he stripped 
his bosom to the rain as it burst round him in torrents; he lifted his arm 
to the burning and serpent flashes, as if to bid them do their worstshe 
cried aloud through the roarings of the wind, as if to challenge and defy 
the storm in his despair. The cloud which had been rolling heavily along 
the bay, at length sailed towards the Solfatara; the swphurous, vapours 
of the hill caught fire, a yellow flame rushed round it like a garment; 
and the last look cast upward by one of those who had fled in terror 
towards Puzzuoli, showed the Italian sitting calmly in a circle of con- 
flagration, evidently awaiting his catastrophe. 
* * * * * 
* * * cod * * ; 
“ Ho, friend, will you sleep for ever? Here, take a drink of this, and 
be a man again.” The Italian opened his eyes, and to his astonishment 
found himself in a low chamber, evidently hewn eut of the rock; 
and his surprise was not diminished, when he saw standing over him 
the boatman holding wine to his lips! It was evidently to the 
activity and courage of this bold fellow that he owed. his preserva- 
tion. His last perception had been that of the cloud. stooping deeper 
and heavier round the spot where he sat in gloomy eagerness for death ; 
a broad burst of intolerable light flamed. across his) eyes, and he fell, 
smote by the flash, and felt no more! He now attempted to. thank his 
preserver, but was answered roughly, by “«:Come, come, no words, I 
have not time for talking now. Here you are safe for a while against 
every thing but starving. The Douaniers will look twice. before they 
come after their old acquaintance Malatesta.” The Italian recognized 
the name as that of a famous contrabandist, who had either eluded the 
vigilance or defeated the force of the officers of the customs for many 
ears. 
6 Malatesta!” repeated he in surprise. ‘“ What!” said the boatman, 
«you know Malatesta then? Do you expect to get the information 
money for giving me up to the sharks in the king’s pay? But, no— 
though I defy them, the rascals generally contrive to keep clear of me; 
and when, now and then, we have come athwart each other about the bay, 
I think I have given them pretty good cause to steer another course in 
future. I suppose you saw the dance I led them, this. evening?” ‘The 
Italian expressed his astonishment, though he acknowledged that he had 
been too much absorbed in his own griefs to have looked long. . Aye, 
that,” said the boatman, “ was a specimen of what I could do any day 
in the week, the wind on an end, or larboard or starboard, aye; or inthe 
teeth, it is all the same to Malatesta—all the same to, Malatesta—All 
winds, hours, seas and times, all the same to Malatesta.” any 
The repetition of the name came with a tone.of voice which: struck the 
Italian as the most peculiar that he bad heard in his life—but in what the 
peculiarity consisted he was unable to define ; it however roused him out 
of the half slumber into which he was fallen from exhaustion, and made 
