a
swaying of the very floor of the hotel. Could she bear it, day after
day, week after week? Would any of them be alive? And Constantinople not
seen, nor steam-navigation on the Volga!

And so new plans arose, and wonderful discoveries were made, and the
future of the Peterkin family was changed forever.

In the first place a strange stout gentleman in spectacles had followed
the Peterkin family to the hotel, had joined in the family councils, and
had rendered valuable service in negotiating with the officers of the
steamer for the cancellation of their through tickets to Athens. He
dined at the same table, and was consulted by the (formerly) little
boys.

Who was he?

They explained that he was their "preceptor." It appeared that after
they parted from their father, the little boys had become mixed up with
some pupils who were being taken by their preceptor to Vesuvius. For
some time he had not noticed that his party (consisting of boys of their
own age) had been enlarged; and after finding this out, he had concluded
they were the sons of an English family with whom he had been
corresponding. He was surprised that no further intelligence came with
them, and no extra baggage. They had, however, their hand-bags; and
after sending their telegram to the lady from Philadelphia, they assured
him that all would be right. But they were obliged to leave Naples the
very day of despatching the telegram, and left no address to which an
answer could be sent. The preceptor took them, with his pupils, directly
back to his institution in Gratz, Austria, from which he had taken them
on this little excursion.

It was not till the end of the winter that he discovered that his
youthful charges--whom he had been faithfully instructing, and who had
found the gymnasium and invigorating atmosphere so favorable to
growth--were not the sons of his English correspondent, whom he had
supposed, from their explanations, to be travelling in America.

He was, however, intending to take his pupils to Athens in the spring,
and by this time the little boys were able to explain themselves better
in his native language. They assured him they should meet their family
in the East, and the preceptor felt it safe to take them upon the track
proposed.

It was now that Mr. Peterkin prided himself upon the plan he had
insisted upon before leaving home. "Was it not well," he exclaimed,
"that I provided each of you with a bag of gold, for use in case of