s afterwards."

"And how did he seem?" I asked anxiously, for I well remembered
Laurie's telling me before we left England that he was of a feverish
temperament, and that hurts which others would recover from quickly,
became from that cause serious matters with him. The answer rather
increased my fears. He had fallen into a doze, but wakened within an
hour a good deal excited. Perhaps the extreme roughness of the bed they
had laid him in, contributed to his unrest, also the heavy anxiety on
his mind. He had talked confusedly of Orlando Jones, then he almost
raved about me, first begging I might not be told of his state, then
changing his mind suddenly, and entreating them to bring me to him. You
will easily believe that I did not require such a summons to make me
hasten to his side.

An old mountaineer, past fighting, who had guided Mr Popham to Cattaro,
offered me his escort, and Spira, who was at the door with her mule,
went into an ecstasy of delight at the prospect of showing her dear
native crags to "our lady," as she called me. I hastily put together
needful clothes for myself and Laurie, old linen, a change of sheets for
my dear patient, tea, arrow-root, and other provisions, and a selection
from the precious medicine-chest. These were packed on one side of the
stout mule, and a seat for me was devised on the other side. Happily
for the animal, I was as light as a feather in those days. Seeing Mr
Popham pale and fatigued, I urged him to remain at our house till his
strength was recruited, and rejoin us the next Tuesday, when he would
easily find a competent guide in the market-place; but he rejected this
advice with vehemence, and after swallowing some refreshment and writing
several letters to Ragusa and England, declared himself quite ready for
a start. My heart warmed to him for his love of Laurie.

Up, up the zigzag path I had so long panted to explore; up, up, we
climbed, but under circumstances how different from those I had pictured
to myself! No Laurie at my side, enjoying every beautiful thing in
earth, air, or sky, showing me what to sketch and how to sketch it; but
vague, uneasy thoughts of him on his feverish couch and among half
savage people. The channel of Cattaro lay below us, its jagged shores,
studded with pretty villages; on all sides were craggy grey peaks,
rising one behind the other, a sky of hazy blue arching over all. My
guide Giuro was full of apologies for the roughness o