said Una . ` Ye-es and no . I 'm one of a good few thousands who have never seen Rome except in a picture . My people have lived at Vectis for generations . Vectis -- that island West yonder that you can see from so far in clear weather . ' ` Do you mean the Isle of Wight ? It lifts up just before rain , and you see it from the Downs . ' ` Very likely . Our villa 's on the South edge of the Island , by the Broken Cliffs . Most of it is three hundred years old , but the cow-stables , where our first ancestor lived , must be a hundred years older . Oh , quite that , because the founder of our family had his land given him by Agricola at the Settlement . It 's not a bad little place for its size . In spring-time violets grow down to the very beach . I 've gathered sea-weeds for myself and violets for my Mother many a time with our old nurse . ' ` Was your nurse a -- a Romaness too ? ' ` No , a Numidian . Gods be good to her ! A dear , fat , brown thing with a tongue like a cowbell . She was a free woman . By the way , are you free , maiden ? '
` Oh , quite , ' said XXXXX .
Agricola Mother Numidian Una Vectis Wight cow-stables cowbell old years