ed when he was in Naples
before, and where he obtained a suite of apartments in front, which
commanded a magnificent view of the bay, with all its unrivaled
scenery, together with the tumultuous life of the street below. Here
he left them, and departed himself almost immediately to begin his
search after Hilda. Her letter mentioned that she was stopping at the
"Hotel de l'Europe," in the Strada Toledo; and to this place he first
directed his way.

On arriving here he found a waiter who could speak English, which was
a fortunate thing, in his opinion, as he could not speak a word of
any other language. He at once asked if a lady by the name of Miss
Lorton was stopping here.

The waiter looked at him with a peculiar glance, and surveyed him
From head to foot. There was something in the expression of his face
which appeared very singular to Obed--a mixture of eager curiosity
and surprise, which to him, to say the least, seemed uncalled for
under the circumstances. He felt indignant at such treatment from a
waiter.

"If you will be kind enough to stare less and answer my question,"
said he, "I will feel obliged; but perhaps you don't understand
English."

"I beg pardon," said the other, in very good English; "but what was
the name of the lady?"

"Miss Lorton," said Obed.

The waiter looked at him again with the same peculiar glance, and
then replied:

"I don't know, but I will ask. Wait here a moment."

Saying this, he departed, and Obed saw him speaking to some half a
dozen persons in the hall very earnestly and hurriedly; then he went
off, and in about five minutes returned in company with the master of
the hotel.

"Were you asking after a lady?" said he, in very fair English, and
bowing courteously to Obed.

"I was," said Obed, who noticed at the same time that this man was
regarding him with the same expression of eager and scrutinizing
curiosity which he had seen on the face of the other.

"And what was the name?"

"Miss Lorton."

"Miss Lorton?" repeated the other; "yes, she is here. Will you be
kind enough to follow me to the parlor until I see whether she is at
home or not, and make her acquainted with your arrival?"

At this information, which was communicated with extreme politeness,
Obed felt such immense relief that he forgot altogether about the
very peculiar manner in which he had been scrutinized. A great weight
seemed suddenly to have been lifted off his soul. For the first time
in many