"At present I do
not choose to adopt it."

"Pardon me," said Gualtier, humbly. "It is taken for granted in
France that every wealthy English lady is titled--every French
hotel-keeper will call you 'miladi,' and why should not I? It is only
a form."

"Well," said Zillah, "let it pass. But what am I to do here? I must
go on. Can I not go by land?"

"You forget, my lady, the war in Lombardy."

"But I tell you, I _must_ go on," said Zillah, impatiently. "Cost
what it may--even if I have to buy a steamer."

Gualtier smiled faintly.

"Even if you wished to buy a steamer, my lady, you could not. The
French government has taken up all for transports. Could you not make
up your mind to wait for a few days?"

"A few days!" cried Zillah, in tones of despair--"a few days! What!
after hurrying here through France so rapidly! A few days! No. I
would rather go to Spain, and catch the steamer at Gibraltar that
Miss Krieff spoke of."

Gualtier smiled.

"That would take much longer time," said he. "But, my lady, I will go
out again, and see if I can not find some way more expeditious than
that. Trust to me. It will be strange if I do not find some way.
Would you be willing to go in a sailing vessel?"

"Of course," said Zillah, without hesitation. "If nothing else can be
found I shall be only too happy."

Upon this, Gualtier departed with the intention of searching for a
sailing vessel. Zillah herself would have been willing to go in any
thing. Such was her anxiety to get to Hilda, that rather than stay in
Marseilles she would have been willing to start for Naples in an open
boat. But on mentioning her situation to Mathilde she encountered, to
her surprise, a very energetic opposition. That important personage
expressed a very strong repugnance to any thing of the kind. First,
she dreaded a sea voyage in a sailing vessel; and secondly, having
got back to France, she did not wish to leave it. If the regular mail
vessel had been going she might not have objected, but as it was she
did not wish to go. Mathilde was very voluble, and very determined;
but Zillah troubled herself very little about this. To get to Hilda
was her one and only desire. If Mathilde stood in the way she would
go on in spite of her. She was willing to let Mathilde go, and set
out unattended. To get to Naples, to join Hilda, whether in a steamer
or a sailing vessel--whether with a maid or without one--that was her
only purpose.

On the following morning