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The Wing-and-Wing - Le Feu-Follet by James Fenimore Cooper
page 24 of 572 (04%)
has come, however, when I ought to expect him. See, Eccellenza," a title
that never failed to mollify the magistrate, and turn his attention from
others entirely to himself, "the lugger really appears disposed to look
into your bay, if not actually to enter it!"

This sufficed to change the discourse. Nor was it said altogether
without reason; the lugger, which by this time had passed the western
promontory, actually appearing disposed to do as Ghita conjectured. She
jibed her mainsail--brought both sheets of canvas on her larboard side,
and luffed a little, so as to cause her head to look toward the opposite
side of the bay, instead of standing on, as before, in the direction of
the canal. This change in the lugger's course produced a general
movement in the crowd, which began to quit the heights, hastening to
descend the terraced streets, in order to reach the haven. 'Maso and the
podestà led the van, in this descent; and the girls, with Ghita in their
midst, followed with equal curiosity, but with eager steps. By the time
the throng was assembled on the quays, in the streets, on the decks of
feluccas, or at other points that commanded the view, the stranger was
seen gliding past, in the centre of the wide and deep bay, with his
jigger hauled out, and his sheets aft, looking up nearly into the wind's
eye, if that could be called wind which was still little more than the
sighing of the classical zephyr. His motion was necessarily slow, but it
continued light, easy, and graceful. After passing the entrance of the
port a mile or more, he tacked and looked up toward the haven. By this
time, however, he had got so near in to the western cliffs, that their
lee deprived him of all air; and, after keeping his canvas open half an
hour in the little roads, it was all suddenly drawn to the yards, and
the lugger anchored.


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