willing to linger here. Naples was
the goal at which she wished to arrive, and as soon as possible she
hurried onward.

On reaching Marseilles she found the city crowded. The great
movements of the Italian war were going on, and every thing was
affected by it. Marseilles was one of the grand centres of action,
and one of the chief depots for military supplies. The city was
filled with soldiers. The harbor was full of transports. The streets
were thronged with representatives of all the different regiments of
the French army, from the magnificent steel-clad Cuirassiers, and the
dashing Chasseurs de Vincennes, to the insouciant Zouaves and the
wild Turcos. In addition to the military, the city was filled with
civil officials, connected with the dispatch of the army, who filled
the city, and rendered it extremely difficult for a stranger to find
lodgings.

Zillah was taken to the Hotel de France, but it was full. Gualtier
went round to all the other hotels, but returned with the unpleasant
intelligence that all were likewise filled. But this did not very
greatly disturb Zillah, for she hoped to be on board the steamer
soon, and whether she found lodgings or not was a matter of
indifference to her in comparison with prosecuting her journey. After
several hours Gualtier returned once more, with the information that
he had succeeded in finding rooms for her in this hotel. He had made
an earnest appeal, he said, to the gallantry of some French officers,
and they had given up their rooms for the use of the fair Anglaise.
It was thus that Zillah was able to secure accommodation for the
night.

All that evening Gualtier spent in searching for the Naples steamer.
When he made his appearance on the following morning it was with news
that was very unpleasant to Zillah. He informed her that the regular
steamers did not run, that they had been taken up by the French
government as transports for the troops, and, as far as he could
learn, there were no provisions whatever for carrying the mails. He
could scarcely think it possible that such should be the case, but so
it was.

At this intelligence Zillah was aghast.

"No mail steamers?" said she. "Impossible! Even if they had taken up
all of them for transports, something would be put on the route."

"I can assure you, my lady, that it is as I said. I have searched
every where, and can not find out any thing," said Gualtier.

"You need not address me by my title," said Zillah.