Of course the fisher-girls were in a wild state of excitement when we came out--all talked at once, stopping in the middle of the path, the donkeys, too; when they had much to say, and telling the whole story over again. I said to one of them, "Should you like to marry a 'bel Inglese' and go and live in another country far away from Capri with no sun nor blue sky?" She thought a moment, looking straight at me with her big, black eyes and then answered, sensibly enough, my rather foolish question--she had never thought about it--was quite happy where she was. It was a curious meeting. When we got back to the hotel we asked our padrona about Mrs. Norton and the life she led. She told us Mrs. Norton mère[25] had been in despair when her son married the fisher-girl--he was very good-looking and her favourite, and it was a great blow to her, but that she had been very good to her and was fond of the boy. She didn't seem to think the young woman had had a very happy life, but that she was always delighted to get back to Capri. "Did she see any of her old friends?" "Not much--that was difficult--she only came in the summer, the children generally with her, and they fished and sailed and made their own life apart." [25] The well-known poetess and beauty, née Sheridan. We got back to Sorrento the next morning--the sea beautifully smooth and calm--no trace of the great waves that had roared all night into the numerous caves, throwing up showers of foam. My dear, I seem to have prosed on for pages about Naples, but once started I couldn't stop. Tell Henrietta I feel rather like her when we used to call her Mrs. Nickleby, because she never could keep to any one subject, but always made long, foolish digressions. Monday, April 13th. Last night we had a pleasant dinner at Mr. Hooker's, the American banker. He still lives in one end of his apartment in the Palazzo Bonaparte, but has rented the greater part to the Suzannets.[26] We were a small party--ourselves, Schuylers, Ristori (Marchesa Caprannica), and her charming daughter. Ristori is very striking looking--very large, but dignified and easy in her movements, and a wonderfully expressive face. The girl, Bianca Caprannica, is charming, tall, fair, graceful. Ristori talked a great deal, speaks French, of course, perfectly. [26] Comte de Suzannet, Secretary of the French Embassy.