The guests--the majority of whom were English--
unconscious of the havoc which had been wrought, enjoyed themselves
right merrily, and the party did not break up until five o'clock in
the morning.
The British squadron, both officers and men were well received at
Trieste, and became most popular during their stay there. Isabel made
great friends with the sailors, and she rescued one of them from what
might have been a serious squabble. One day she saw a sailor picking
the apples off a tree in the Austrian Admiral's garden, which overhung
the road. The sentry came out, and a crowd of people assembled. Jack
Tar looked at them scornfully, and went on munching his apple until they
laid hands on him, when he gave a sweeping backhander, which knocked one
or two of them over. Everything was ripe for a row, when Isabel stepped
in between the combatants, and said to the sailor, "I am your Consul's
wife, and they are trying to make you understand that these are the
Austrian Admiral's apples, and you must not eat them." The sailor
apologized, said he did not know he had done any wrong, and did not
understand what they were all jabbering about; and he saluted and went.
Then Isabel explained to the sentry, and generally poured oil on the
troubled waters. The sailor told the story to his comrades, and thus
she became very popular among them. The sailors liked Trieste so much
that, when the squadron was to leave, eighteen of them did not join
their ship; and when they were caught Isabel went and interceded for
them, and begged the captain not to punish them severely.
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