quets in the green times, when we went to the ----'s
party), and the Strada Carlo Felice. The old beastly gate and guardhouse
on the Albaro road are still in their dear old beastly state, and the
whole of that road is just as it was. The man without legs is still in
the Strada Nuova; but the beggars in general are all cleared off, and
our old one-armed Belisario made a sudden evaporation a year or two ago.
I am going to the Peschiere to-day. The puppets are here, and the opera
is open, but only with a buffo company, and without a buffet. We went to
the Scala, where they did an opera of Verdi's, called "Il Trovatore,"
and a poor enough ballet. The whole performance miserable indeed. I wish
you were here to take some of the old walks. It is quite strange to walk
about alone. Good-bye, my dear Georgy. Pray tell me how Kate is. I
rather fancy from her letter, though I scarcely know why, that she is
not quite as well as she was at Boulogne. I was charmed with your
account of the Plornishghenter and everything and everybody else. Kiss
them all for me.

Ever most affectionately yours.

[Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.]

HOTEL DES ETRANGERS, NAPLES,
_Friday Night, Nov. 4th, 1853._

MY DEAREST GEORGY,

Instead of embarking on Monday at Genoa, we were delayed (in consequence
of the boat's being a day later when there are thirty-one days in the
month) until Tuesday. Going aboard that morning at half-past nine, we
found the steamer more than full of passengers from Marseilles, and in a
state of confusion not to be described. We could get no places at the
table, got our dinners how we could on deck, had no berths or sleeping
accommodation of any kind, and had paid heavy first-class fares! To add
to this, we got to Leghorn too late to steam away again that night,
getting the ship's papers examined first--as the authorities said so,
not being favourable to the new express English ship, English
officered--and we lay off the lighthouse all night long. The scene on
board beggars description. Ladies on the tables, gentlemen under the
tables, and ladies and gentlemen lying indiscriminately on the open
deck, arrayed like spoons on a sideboard. No mattresses, no blankets,
nothing. Towards midnight, attempts were made by means of an awning and
flags to make this latter scene remotely approach an Australian
encampment; and we three lay together o