t all mean?" said Obed, after a long silence.

"There's something up," said the Cincinnati lawyer, sententiously.

"Perhaps it is a repetition of the landing at Naples on a grander
scale," said the clergyman. "I remember when I landed there at least
fifty lazaroni followed me to carry my carpet-bag."

"Fifty?" cried one of the Heidelbergians. "Why, there are five
hundred after us!"

"But these are not lazaroni," said Obed. "Look at that crowd! Did you
ever see a more respectable one?"

In truth, the crowd was in the highest degree respectable. There were
some workmen, and some lazaroni. But the greater number consisted of
well-dressed people, among whom were intermingled priests and
soldiers, and even women. All these, whatever their rank, bore in
their faces an expression of the intensest curiosity and interest.
The expression was unmistakable, and as the yacht came nearer, those
on board were able to see that they were the objects of no common
attention. If they had doubted this, this doubt was soon dispelled;
for as the yacht grazed the wharf a movement took place among the
crowd, and a confused cry of applause arose.

For such a welcome as this the yachting party were certainly not
prepared. All looked up in amazement, with the exception of Obed. He
alone was found equal to the occasion. Without stopping to consider
what the cause of such a reception might be, he was simply conscious
of an act of public good-will, and prepared to respond in a fitting
manner. He was standing on the prow at the time, and drawing his tall
form to its full height, he regarded the crowd for a moment with a
benignant smile; after which he removed his hat and bowed with great
_empressement_.

At this there arose another shout of applause from the whole crowd,
which completed the amazement of the tourists. Meanwhile the yacht
swung up close to the wharf, and as there was nothing else to be done
they prepared to land, leaving her in charge of her crew, which
consisted of several sailors from one of the American frigates. The
blue shirts of these fellows formed a pleasing contrast to the red
shirts and reefing jackets of the others, and the crowd on the wharf
seemed to feel an indiscriminate admiration for he crew as well as
for the masters. Such attentions were certainly somewhat
embarrassing, and presented to these adventurous spirits a novel kind
of difficulty; but whether novel or not, there was now no honorable
escape from it, a