followed the stream of passengers going ashore and on the quay join ed a small group of people with whom she had made friends and who were now bargaining with a taxi-driver to take them to Pompeii. At last a price was agreed on and they clambered into the ancient taxi, enduring an extremely bumpy ride through the town and out over the cliff road towards the old Roman site.
She was glad that the four other passengers were as interested as herself, and with a guide to explain the layout of the ruins they spent an exciting if extremely tiring few hours. The steep stone roadways of the ruined town; the empty, faceless shops—the artisans' tools still displayed as they had used them—made it hard to believe that they were the relics of a civilization two thousand years old, and the guide proudly showed them mosaics and paintings whose colours were still vivid.
All too soon it was time for them to leave, but al though the rest of her party were ready to go, Barbara felt she could not miss the chance of visiting the muse um, and assuring them she would find her own way back to the ship, went alone into the two large rooms housing the relics of the destroyed metropolis.
She was so fascinated that time seemed to stand still, and it was not until she was out in the bright sunshine once more that she looked at her watch and saw with horror that the ship would be leaving within fifteen minutes.
Taking to her heels, she flew through the gate and down the steps, relieved to sec a waiting taxi parked by the roadway.
"Take me to the harbour quickly," she gasped. "My boat leaves in a quarter of an hour!"
Far more quickly than she had climbed it they des cended the wide road into Naples, but even so it was nearly ten minutes after sailing time when the taxi screeched to a halt in the harbour square. The white bulk of the ship loomed at the far end of the dock, and dropping a generous wad of lire into the driver's out stretched palm, she raced along the quay. By the time she reached the gangway she was too out of breath to speak, and running up the wooden slope almost fell into Rockwood's arms.
"Where the devil have you been?" he demanded, and caught her in such a fierce grip that she winced. "Didn't you know we were due to sail at five-thirty?"
"I'm sorry," she gasped.
"Sorry!" He grated, and without waiting for further explanations propelled her none too gently to a more secluded part of the deck away from the curious stares of some of the crew and one or two passengers who had not yet gone down to their cabins to change for dinner.
"Now then." He pulled her round to face him. "Be good enough to tell me where you've been."
·To Pompeii."
"I see. And didn't you know the sailing time?"'
;|Yes, but I"
"Do you realize I practically had to go down on my knees to the captain to persuade him not to leave without you?" he said harshly. "If the boat doesn't leave when the tide's right we can be stuck for twelve hours. You were damned lucky the loading was delayed or you'd have been stranded here without a penny." His fingers tightened on her arm. "I thought you went with some other passengers?"
"I did, but I was the only one who wanted to see the museum, so I left them and explored on my own. I'm sorry I've caused you so much inconvenience, but I honestly didn't realize it was so late." Her voice shook, partly with anxiety at nearly missing the boat and partly at the ferocity of his reception. "If you'll let go of my arm," she added faintly, "I'd like to wipe my forehead."
He released her so abruptly that she almost fell and he caught her again and thrust her unceremoniously into a nearby deck chair. "You're tired—and no wonder. I suppose you ran the whole length of the quay?"
"I'm afraid I did."
"Hardly to be recommended in this heat."
She leant back against the canvas. "I shall be all right in a minute if you'll just give me time to recover."
She closed her eyes and when she opened them again it was to see Rockwood standing
She was glad that the four other passengers were as interested as herself, and with a guide to explain the layout of the ruins they spent an exciting if extremely tiring few hours. The steep stone roadways of the ruined town; the empty, faceless shops—the artisans' tools still displayed as they had used them—made it hard to believe that they were the relics of a civilization two thousand years old, and the guide proudly showed them mosaics and paintings whose colours were still vivid.
All too soon it was time for them to leave, but al though the rest of her party were ready to go, Barbara felt she could not miss the chance of visiting the muse um, and assuring them she would find her own way back to the ship, went alone into the two large rooms housing the relics of the destroyed metropolis.
She was so fascinated that time seemed to stand still, and it was not until she was out in the bright sunshine once more that she looked at her watch and saw with horror that the ship would be leaving within fifteen minutes.
Taking to her heels, she flew through the gate and down the steps, relieved to sec a waiting taxi parked by the roadway.
"Take me to the harbour quickly," she gasped. "My boat leaves in a quarter of an hour!"
Far more quickly than she had climbed it they des cended the wide road into Naples, but even so it was nearly ten minutes after sailing time when the taxi screeched to a halt in the harbour square. The white bulk of the ship loomed at the far end of the dock, and dropping a generous wad of lire into the driver's out stretched palm, she raced along the quay. By the time she reached the gangway she was too out of breath to speak, and running up the wooden slope almost fell into Rockwood's arms.
"Where the devil have you been?" he demanded, and caught her in such a fierce grip that she winced. "Didn't you know we were due to sail at five-thirty?"
"I'm sorry," she gasped.
"Sorry!" He grated, and without waiting for further explanations propelled her none too gently to a more secluded part of the deck away from the curious stares of some of the crew and one or two passengers who had not yet gone down to their cabins to change for dinner.
"Now then." He pulled her round to face him. "Be good enough to tell me where you've been."
·To Pompeii."
"I see. And didn't you know the sailing time?"'
;|Yes, but I"
"Do you realize I practically had to go down on my knees to the captain to persuade him not to leave without you?" he said harshly. "If the boat doesn't leave when the tide's right we can be stuck for twelve hours. You were damned lucky the loading was delayed or you'd have been stranded here without a penny." His fingers tightened on her arm. "I thought you went with some other passengers?"
"I did, but I was the only one who wanted to see the museum, so I left them and explored on my own. I'm sorry I've caused you so much inconvenience, but I honestly didn't realize it was so late." Her voice shook, partly with anxiety at nearly missing the boat and partly at the ferocity of his reception. "If you'll let go of my arm," she added faintly, "I'd like to wipe my forehead."
He released her so abruptly that she almost fell and he caught her again and thrust her unceremoniously into a nearby deck chair. "You're tired—and no wonder. I suppose you ran the whole length of the quay?"
"I'm afraid I did."
"Hardly to be recommended in this heat."
She leant back against the canvas. "I shall be all right in a minute if you'll just give me time to recover."
She closed her eyes and when she opened them again it was to see Rockwood standing
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