52 MEMOIR OF FLEEMING JENKIN 



allowed to leave the city.' On Wednesday, La 

 Marmora came indeed, but in the ugly form of a 

 bombardment ; and that evening the Jenkins sat 

 without lights about their drawing-room window, 

 * watching the huge red flashes of the cannon ' 

 from the Brigato and La Specula forts, and hearken- 

 ing, not without some awful pleasure, to the thunder 

 of the cannonade. 



Lord Hardwicke intervened between the rebels 

 and La Marmora ; and there followed a troubled 

 armistice, filled with the voice of panic. Now the 

 Vengeance was known to be cleared for action ; 

 now it was rumoured that the galley slaves were to 

 be let loose upon the town, and now that the troops 

 would enter it by storm. Crowds, trusting in the 

 Union Jack over the Jenkins' door, came to beg 

 them to receive their linen and other valuables ; 

 nor could their instances be refused ; and in the 

 midst of all this bustle and alarm, piles of goods 

 must be examined and long inventories made. At 

 last the captain decided things had gone too far. 

 He himself apparently remained to watch over the 

 linen ; but at five o'clock on the Sunday morning, 

 Aunt Anna, Fleeming and his mother were rowed 

 in a pour of rain on board an English merchantman, 

 to suffer ' nine mortal hours of agonising suspense.' 

 With the end of that time, peace was restored. 

 On Tuesday morning officers with white flags 

 appeared on the bastions ; then, regiment by regi- 



