ishman
is!" He also remarked that the Englishman is as fair as a beautiful
woman. Some relations of Lord John Russell's, going to Malta, were
aboardship, and we were very pleasant. Likewise there was a Mr. Young
aboard--an agreeable fellow, not very unlike Forster in person--who
introduced himself as the brother of the Miss Youngs whom we knew at
Boulogne. He was musical and had much good-fellowship in him, and we
were very agreeable together also. On the whole I became decidedly
popular, and was embraced on all hands when I came over the side this
morning. We are going up Vesuvius, of course, and to Herculaneum and
Pompeii, and the usual places. The Tennents will be our companions in
most of our excursions, but we shall leave them here behind us. Naples
looks just the same as when we left it, except that the weather is much
better and brighter.

On the day before we left Genoa, we had another dinner with ---- at his
country place. He was the soul of hospitality, and really seems to love
me. You would have been quite touched if you could have seen the honest
warmth of his affection. On the occasion of this second banquet, Egg
made a brilliant mistake that perfectly convulsed us all. I had
introduced all the games with great success, and we were playing at the
"What advice would you have given that person?" game. The advice was
"Not to bully his fellow-creatures." Upon which, Egg triumphantly and
with the greatest glee, screamed, "Mr. ----!" utterly forgetting ----'s
relationship, which I had elaborately impressed upon him. The effect was
perfectly irresistible and uncontrollable; and the little woman's way of
humouring the joke was in the best taste and the best sense. While I am
upon Genoa I may add, that when we left the Croce the landlord, in
hoping that I was satisfied, told me that as I was an old inhabitant, he
had charged the prices "as to a Genoese." They certainly were very
reasonable.

Mr. and Mrs. Sartoris have lately been staying in this house, but are
just gone. It is kept by an English waiting-maid who married an Italian
courier, and is extremely comfortable and clean. I am getting impatient
to hear from you with all home news, and shall be heartily glad to get
to Rome, and find my best welcome and interest at the post-office there.

That ridiculous ---- and her mother were at the hotel at Leghorn the day
before yesterday, where the mother (poor old lady!) was so ill from the
fright and anxiety conseque