without the grinding of ropes, or rattling of chains, or creaking
boards, she swung gracefully round, and began to glide through the
water with a swiftness that was almost incredible. The sails filled,
though the air was intensely warm and stirless--an air in which any
ordinary schooner would have been hopelessly becalmed,--and almost
before we knew it we were out of Loch Scavaig and flying as though
borne on the wings of some great white bird, all along the wild and
picturesque coast of Skye towards Loch Bracadale. One of the most
remarkable features about the yacht was the extraordinary lightness
with which she skimmed the waves--she seemed to ride on their
surface rather than part them with her keel. Everything on board
expressed the finest taste as well as the most perfect convenience,
and I saw Mr. Plarland gazing about him in utter amazement at the
elegant sumptuousness of his surroundings. Santoris showed us all
over the vessel, talking to us with the ease of quite an old friend.

"You know the familiar axiom,"--he said--"'Anything worth doing at
all is worth doing well.' The 'Dream' was first of all nothing but a
dream in my brain till I set to work with Fazio and made it a
reality. Owing to our discovery of the way in which to compel the
waters to serve us as our motive power, we have no blackening smoke
or steam, so that our furniture and fittings are preserved from
dinginess and tarnish. It was possible to have the saloon delicately
painted, as you see,"--here he opened the door of the apartment
mentioned, and we stepped into it as into a fairy palace. It was
much loftier than the usual yacht saloon, and on all sides the
windows were oval shaped, set in between the most exquisitely
painted panels of sea pieces, evidently the work of some great
artist. Overhead the ceiling was draped with pale turquoise blue
silk forming a canopy, which was gathered in rich folds on all four