No Englishwoman had ever been to Corsica; therefore she must go.

What a pleasure it would be, when she got back to St.James's Place, to exhibit her album! "But, my dear creature, why do you pass over that delightful drawing ?" "That's only a trifle--just a sketch I made of a famous Corsican bandit who was our guide." "What! you don't mean to say you have been to Corsica ?" As there were no steamboats between France and Corsica, in those days, inquiries were made for some ship about to sail for the island Miss Lydia proposed to discover.

That very day the colonel wrote to Paris, to countermand his order for the suite of apartments in which he was to have made some stay, and bargained with the skipper of a Corsican schooner, just about to set sail for Ajaccio, for two poor cabins, but the best that could be had.

Provisions were sent on board, the skipper swore that one of his sailors was an excellent cook, and had not his equal for _bouilleabaisse_; he promised mademoiselle should be comfortable, and have a fair wind and a calm sea.
The colonel further stipulated, in obedience to his daughter's wishes, that no other passenger should be taken on board, and that the captain should skirt the coast of the island, so that Miss Lydia might enjoy the view of the mountains..