lomon John's telegram from Geneva at the time she heard
from the rest of the family, and one signed "L. Boys" from Naples. But
neither of these telegrams gave an address for return answers, which
she had, however, sent to Geneva and Naples, with the fatal omission by
the operator (as she afterward learned) of the date, as in the other
telegrams.

Mrs. Peterkin therefore disliked to be long away from the Sphinx, and
their excursion up the Nile had been shortened on this account. All
the Nubian guides near the pyramids had been furnished with additional
backsheesh and elaborate explanations from Mr. Peterkin as to how they
should send him information if Solomon John and the little boys should
turn up at the Sphinx,--for all the family agreed they would probably
appear in Egypt together.

Mrs. Peterkin regretted not having any photographs to leave with the
guides; but Elizabeth Eliza, alas! had lost at Brindisi the hand-bag
that contained the family photograph-book.

Mrs. Peterkin would have liked to take up her residence near the Sphinx
for the rest of the year. But every one warned her that the heat of an
Egyptian summer would not allow her to stay at Cairo,--scarcely even on
the sea-shore, at Alexandria.

How thankful was Mrs. Peterkin, a few months after, when the war in
Egypt broke out, that her wishes had not been yielded to! For many
nights she could not sleep, picturing how they all might have been
massacred by the terrible mob in Alexandria.

Intelligence of Solomon John led them to take their departure.

One day, they were discussing at the _table d'hote_ their letters
from the lady from Philadelphia, and how they showed that Solomon John
had been at Geneva.

"Ah, there was his mistake!" said Elizabeth Eliza. "The Doolittles left
Marseilles with us, and were to branch off for Geneva, and we kept on to
Genoa, and Solomon John was always mistaking Genoa for Geneva, as we
planned our route. I remember there was a great confusion when they got
off."

"I always mix up Geneva and Genoa," said Mrs. Peterkin. "I feel as if
they were the same."

"They are quite different," said Elizabeth Eliza; "and Genoa lay in our
route, while Geneva took him into Switzerland."

An English gentleman, on the opposite side of the table, then spoke to
Mr. Peterkin.

"I beg pardon," he said. "I think I met one of your name in Athens.
He attracted our attention because he went every day to the same spot,
and he told us he expe