"Then came that mad supper in the tavern-kitchen, in which Emma, revived by her resting, was a queen of the revels again. What a scene it was! these uncouth beings made to provide a feast, such as one sees in a buffo-comedy, for their Queen, with Emma spurring them on to fresh extravagances, and the Neapolitan Commodore Caracciolo, as I judged, airing a sardonic wit which I missed, being no Italian. And when I could not partake of the dishes of the country, which were mightily rich with their pork and their oil, Emma flew away from the table herself, and catching one of her lackeys made him bring a basket from which she gave me biscuits and fruit, of which I partook sparingly, really that it might not be a fool's errand for her. Mine host's wine was very fair. Emma is a splendid creature, with superb health, about which she takes not a thought. She ate their oily dainties with the greatest gusto, because, as she said, their simplicity and plainness were refreshing after the artificial feasts to which she was bound as Ambassador's wife. "Refreshed in this simple, plain and hearty fashion, she was all _esprit_ on the remainder of the drive into Naples through the dusk. She was wonderfully animated; and I had from her, in her own natural words, for my benefit, all that she had had from the learned Sir William about the flourishing ports and bathing places, served mostly by Greeks, which had clustered round the vine-clad slopes of Vesuvio before the eruption. I could almost see their destruction, so eloquent were her gestures. And very frequently she would break off suddenly, saying--'But I am wearying you--I am letting my enthusiasm run away with me. Forgive me, Nelson,' and this so penitently, with a timid little touch. "In our _caless_ we drove post haste, so soon as we had left the Queen, to Sir William's palace on the Chiaja. For we had to dress for dinner with Her Majesty, and a beautiful woman needs time for her toilet; though in this respect Emma is so speedy that 'tis plain that she relies on Nature first, and but little on Art. I had not got into my state uniform above a few minutes, when I beheld her a vision of loveliness. "We had hoped to have Sir William with us. Common prudence had indeed bade him forego the expedition to Pompeji, from which, with the drenchings we had, he would certainly have come back in a raging fever, even if he could have borne the long hot drive in the morning and the chance of a cold wind coming up as the hours began to throw their shadows. The ruined city is noted for its draughtiness: the wind comes very keenly round the mountain; and I doubt not there is an aguishness in the newly turned soil.