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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Man who kept his Money in a Box, by
+Anthony Trollope
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
+the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
+to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Man who kept his Money in a Box
+
+
+Author: Anthony Trollope
+
+
+
+Release Date: January 16, 2015  [eBook #3767]
+[This file was first posted on August 28, 2001]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A
+BOX***
+
+
+Transcribed from the 1864 Chapman and Hall “Tales of All Countries”
+edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
+
+
+
+
+
+                   THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A BOX.
+
+
+I FIRST saw the man who kept his money in a box in the midst of the
+ravine of the Via Mala.  I interchanged a few words with him or with his
+wife at the hospice, at the top of the Splugen; and I became acquainted
+with him in the courtyard of Conradi’s hotel at Chiavenna.  It was,
+however, afterwards at Bellaggio, on the lake of Como, that that
+acquaintance ripened into intimacy.  A good many years have rolled by
+since then, and I believe this little episode in his life may be told
+without pain to the feelings of any one.
+
+His name was —; let us for the present say that his name was Greene.  How
+he learned that my name was Robinson I do not know, but I remember well
+that he addressed me by my name at Chiavenna.  To go back, however, for a
+moment to the Via Mala;—I had been staying for a few days at the Golden
+Eagle at Tusis,—which, by-the-bye, I hold to be the best small inn in all
+Switzerland, and its hostess to be, or to have been, certainly the
+prettiest landlady,—and on the day of my departure southwards, I had
+walked on, into the Via Mala, so that the diligence might pick me up in
+the gorge.  This pass I regard as one of the grandest spots to which my
+wandering steps have ever carried me, and though I had already lingered
+about it for many hours, I now walked thither again to take my last
+farewell of its dark towering rocks, its narrow causeway and roaring
+river, trusting to my friend the landlady to see that my luggage was duly
+packed upon the diligence.  I need hardly say that my friend did not
+betray her trust.
+
+As one goes out from Switzerland towards Italy, the road through the Via
+Mala ascends somewhat steeply, and passengers by the diligence may walk
+from the inn at Tusis into the gorge, and make their way through the
+greater part of the ravine before the vehicle will overtake them.  This,
+however, Mr. Greene with his wife and daughter had omitted to do.  When
+the diligence passed me in the defile, the horses trotting for a few
+yards over some level portion of the road, I saw a man’s nose pressed
+close against the glass of the coupé window.  I saw more of his nose than
+of any other part of his face, but yet I could perceive that his neck was
+twisted and his eye upturned, and that he was making a painful effort to
+look upwards to the summit of the rocks from his position inside the
+carriage.
+
+There was such a roar of wind and waters at the spot that it was not
+practicable to speak to him, but I beckoned with my finger and then
+pointed to the road, indicating that he should have walked.  He
+understood me, though I did not at the moment understand his answering
+gesture.  It was subsequently, when I knew somewhat of his habits, that
+he explained to me that on pointing to his open mouth, he had intended to
+signify that he would be afraid of sore throat in exposing himself to the
+air of that damp and narrow passage.
+
+I got up into the conductor’s covered seat at the back of the diligence,
+and in this position encountered the drifting snow of the Splugen.  I
+think it is coldest of all the passes.  Near the top of the pass the
+diligence stops for awhile, and it is here, if I remember, that the
+Austrian officials demand the travellers’ passports.  At least in those
+days they did so.  These officials have now retreated behind the
+Quadrilatère,—soon, as we hope, to make a further retreat,—and the
+district belongs to the kingdom of United Italy.  There is a place of
+refreshment or hospice here, into which we all went for a few moments,
+and I then saw that my friend with the weak throat was accompanied by two
+ladies.
+
+“You should not have missed the Via Mala,” I said to him, as he stood
+warming his toes at the huge covered stove.
+
+“We miss everything,” said the elder of the two ladies, who, however, was
+very much younger than the gentleman, and not very much older than her
+companion.
+
+“I saw it beautifully, mamma,” said the younger one; whereupon mamma gave
+her head a toss, and made up her mind, as I thought, to take some little
+vengeance before long upon her step-daughter.  I observed that Miss
+Greene always called her step-mother mamma on the first approach of any
+stranger, so that the nature of the connection between them might be
+understood.  And I observed also that the elder lady always gave her head
+a toss when she was so addressed.
+
+“We don’t mean to enjoy ourselves till we get down to the lake of Como,”
+said Mr. Greene.  As I looked at him cowering over the stove, and saw how
+oppressed he was with great coats and warm wrappings for his throat, I
+quite agreed with him that he had not begun to enjoy himself as yet.
+Then we all got into our places again, and I saw no more of the Greenes
+till we were standing huddled together in the large courtyard of
+Conradi’s hotel at Chiavenna.
+
+Chiavenna is the first Italian town which the tourist reaches by this
+route, and I know no town in the North of Italy which is so closely
+surrounded by beautiful scenery.  The traveller as he falls down to it
+from the Splugen road is bewildered by the loveliness of the
+valleys,—that is to say, if he so arranges that he can see them without
+pressing his nose against the glass of a coach window.  And then from the
+town itself there are walks of two, three, and four hours, which I think
+are unsurpassed for wild and sometimes startling beauties.  One gets into
+little valleys, green as emeralds, and surrounded on all sides by grey
+broken rocks, in which Italian Rasselases might have lived in perfect
+bliss; and then again one comes upon distant views up the river courses,
+bounded far away by the spurs of the Alps, which are perfect,—to which
+the fancy can add no additional charm.  Conradi’s hotel also is by no
+means bad; or was not in those days.  For my part I am inclined to think
+that Italian hotels have received a worse name than they deserve; and I
+must profess that, looking merely to creature comforts, I would much
+sooner stay a week at the Golden Key at Chiavenna, than with mine host of
+the King’s Head in the thriving commercial town of Muddleboro, on the
+borders of Yorkshire and Lancashire.
+
+I am always rather keen about my room in travelling, and having secured a
+chamber looking out upon the mountains, had returned to the court-yard to
+collect my baggage before Mr. Greene had succeeded in realising his
+position, or understanding that he had to take upon himself the duties of
+settling his family for the night in the hotel by which he was
+surrounded.  When I descended he was stripping off the outermost of three
+great coats, and four waiters around him were beseeching him to tell them
+what accommodation he would require.  Mr. Greene was giving sundry very
+urgent instructions to the conductor respecting his boxes; but as these
+were given in English, I was not surprised to find that they were not
+accurately followed.  The man, however, was much too courteous to say in
+any language that he did not understand every word that was said to him.
+Miss Greene was standing apart, doing nothing.  As she was only eighteen
+years of age, it was of course her business to do nothing; and a very
+pretty little girl she was, by no means ignorant of her own beauty, and
+possessed of quite sufficient wit to enable her to make the most of it.
+
+Mr. Greene was very leisurely in his proceedings, and the four waiters
+were almost reduced to despair.
+
+“I want two bed-rooms, a dressing-room, and some dinner,” he said at
+last, speaking very slowly, and in his own vernacular.  I could not in
+the least assist him by translating it into Italian, for I did not speak
+a word of the language myself; but I suggested that the man would
+understand French.  The waiter, however, had understood English.  Waiters
+do understand all languages with a facility that is marvellous; and this
+one now suggested that Mrs. Greene should follow him up-stairs.  Mrs.
+Greene, however, would not move till she had seen that her boxes were all
+right; and as Mrs. Greene was also a pretty woman, I found myself bound
+to apply myself to her assistance.
+
+“Oh, thank you,” said she.  “The people are so stupid that one can really
+do nothing with them.  And as for Mr. Greene, he is of no use at all.
+You see that box, the smaller one.  I have four hundred pounds’ worth of
+jewellery in that, and therefore I am obliged to look after it.”
+
+“Indeed,” said I, rather startled at this amount of confidence on rather
+a short acquaintance.  “In that case I do not wonder at your being
+careful.  But is it not rather rash, perhaps—”
+
+“I know what you are going to say.  Well, perhaps it is rash.  But when
+you are going to foreign courts, what are you to do?  If you have got
+those sort of things you must wear them.”
+
+As I was not myself possessed of anything of that sort, and had no
+intention of going to any foreign court, I could not argue the matter
+with her.  But I assisted her in getting together an enormous pile of
+luggage, among which there were seven large boxes covered with canvas,
+such as ladies not uncommonly carry with them when travelling.  That one
+which she represented as being smaller than the others, and as holding
+jewellery, might be about a yard long by a foot and a half deep.  Being
+ignorant in those matters, I should have thought it sufficient to carry
+all a lady’s wardrobe for twelve months.  When the boxes were collected
+together, she sat down upon the jewel-case and looked up into my face.
+She was a pretty woman, perhaps thirty years of age, with long light
+yellow hair, which she allowed to escape from her bonnet, knowing,
+perhaps, that it was not unbecoming to her when thus dishevelled.  Her
+skin was very delicate, and her complexion good.  Indeed her face would
+have been altogether prepossessing had there not been a want of
+gentleness in her eyes.  Her hands, too, were soft and small, and on the
+whole she may be said to have been possessed of a strong battery of
+feminine attractions.  She also well knew how to use them.
+
+“Whisper,” she said to me, with a peculiar but very proper aspiration on
+the h—“Wh-hisper,” and both by the aspiration and the use of the word I
+knew at once from what island she had come.  “Mr. Greene keeps all his
+money in this box also; so I never let it go out of my sight for a
+moment.  But whatever you do, don’t tell him that I told you so.”
+
+I laid my hand on my heart, and made a solemn asseveration that I would
+not divulge her secret.  I need not, however, have troubled myself much
+on that head, for as I walked up stairs, keeping my eye upon the precious
+trunk, Mr. Greene addressed me.
+
+“You are an Englishman, Mr. Robinson,” said he.  I acknowledged that I
+was.
+
+“I am another.  My wife, however, is Irish.  My daughter,—by a former
+marriage,—is English also.  You see that box there.”
+
+“Oh, yes,” said I, “I see it.”  I began to be so fascinated by the box
+that I could not keep my eyes off it.
+
+“I don’t know whether or no it is prudent, but I keep all my money there;
+my money for travelling, I mean.”
+
+“If I were you, then,” I answered, “I would not say anything about it to
+any one.”
+
+“Oh, no, of course not,” said he; “I should not think of mentioning it.
+But those brigands in Italy always take away what you have about your
+person, but they don’t meddle with the heavy luggage.”
+
+“Bills of exchange, or circular notes,” I suggested.
+
+“Ah, yes; and if you can’t identify yourself, or happen to have a
+headache, you can’t get them changed.  I asked an old friend of mine, who
+has been connected with the Bank of England for the last fifty years, and
+he assured me that there was nothing like sovereigns.”
+
+“But you never get the value for them.”
+
+“Well, not quite.  One loses a franc, or a franc and a half.  But still,
+there’s the certainty, and that’s the great matter.  An English sovereign
+will go anywhere,” and he spoke these words with considerable triumph.
+
+“Undoubtedly, if you consent to lose a shilling on each sovereign.”
+
+“At any rate, I have got three hundred and fifty in that box,” he said.
+“I have them done up in rolls of twenty-five pounds each.”
+
+I again recommended him to keep this arrangement of his as private as
+possible,—a piece of counsel which I confess seemed to me to be much
+needed,—and then I went away to my own room, having first accepted an
+invitation from Mrs. Greene to join their party at dinner.  “Do,” said
+she; “we have been so dull, and it will be so pleasant.”
+
+I did not require to be much pressed to join myself to a party in which
+there was so pretty a girl as Miss Greene, and so attractive a woman as
+Mrs. Greene.  I therefore accepted the invitation readily, and went away
+to make my toilet.  As I did so I passed the door of Mr. Greene’s room,
+and saw the long file of boxes being borne into the centre of it.
+
+I spent a pleasant evening, with, however, one or two slight drawbacks.
+As to old Greene himself, he was all that was amiable; but then he was
+nervous, full of cares, and somewhat apt to be a bore.  He wanted
+information on a thousand points, and did not seem to understand that a
+young man might prefer the conversation of his daughter to his own.  Not
+that he showed any solicitude to prevent conversation on the part of his
+daughter.  I should have been perfectly at liberty to talk to either of
+the ladies had he not wished to engross all my attention to himself.  He
+also had found it dull to be alone with his wife and daughter for the
+last six weeks.
+
+He was a small spare man, probably over fifty years of age, who gave me
+to understand that he had lived in London all his life, and had made his
+own fortune in the city.  What he had done in the city to make his
+fortune he did not say.  Had I come across him there I should no doubt
+have found him to be a sharp man of business, quite competent to teach me
+many a useful lesson of which I was as ignorant as an infant.  Had he
+caught me on the Exchange, or at Lloyd’s, or in the big room of the Bank
+of England, I should have been compelled to ask him everything.  Now, in
+this little town under the Alps, he was as much lost as I should have
+been in Lombard Street, and was ready enough to look to me for
+information.  I was by no means chary in giving him my counsel, and
+imparting to him my ideas on things in general in that part of the
+world;—only I should have preferred to be allowed to make myself civil to
+his daughter.
+
+In the course of conversation it was mentioned by him that they intended
+to stay a few days at Bellaggio, which, as all the world knows, is a
+central spot on the lake of Como, and a favourite resting-place for
+travellers.  There are three lakes which all meet here, and to all of
+which we give the name of Como.  They are properly called the lakes of
+Como, Colico, and Lecco; and Bellaggio is the spot at which their waters
+join each other.  I had half made up my mind to sleep there one night on
+my road into Italy, and now, on hearing their purpose, I declared that
+such was my intention.
+
+“How very pleasant,” said Mrs. Greene.  “It will be quite delightful to
+have some one to show us how to settle ourselves, for really—”
+
+“My dear, I’m sure you can’t say that you ever have much trouble.”
+
+“And who does then, Mr. Greene?  I am sure Sophonisba does not do much to
+help me.”
+
+“You won’t let me,” said Sophonisba, whose name I had not before heard.
+Her papa had called her Sophy in the yard of the inn.  Sophonisba Greene!
+Sophonisba Robinson did not sound so badly in my ears, and I confess that
+I had tried the names together.  Her papa had mentioned to me that he had
+no other child, and had mentioned also that he had made his fortune.
+
+And then there was a little family contest as to the amount of travelling
+labour which fell to the lot of each of the party, during which I retired
+to one of the windows of the big front room in which we were sitting.
+And how much of this labour there is incidental to a tourist’s pursuits!
+And how often these little contests do arise upon a journey!  Who has
+ever travelled and not known them?  I had taken up such a position at the
+window as might, I thought, have removed me out of hearing; but
+nevertheless from time to time a word would catch my ear about that
+precious box.  “I have never taken _my_ eyes off it since I left
+England,” said Mrs. Greene, speaking quick, and with a considerable
+brogue superinduced by her energy.  “Where would it have been at Basle if
+I had not been looking after it?”  “Quite safe,” said Sophonisba; “those
+large things always are safe.”  “Are they, Miss?  That’s all you know
+about it.  I suppose your bonnet-box was quite safe when I found it on
+the platform at—at—I forget the name of the place?”
+
+“Freidrichshafen,” said Sophonisba, with almost an unnecessary amount of
+Teutonic skill in her pronunciation.  “Well, mamma, you have told me of
+that at least twenty times.”  Soon after that, the ladies took them to
+their own rooms, weary with the travelling of two days and a night, and
+Mr. Greene went fast asleep in the very comfortless chair in which he was
+seated.
+
+At four o’clock on the next morning we started on our journey.
+
+    “Early to bed, and early to rise,
+    Is the way to be healthy, and wealthy, and wise.”
+
+We all know that lesson, and many of us believe in it; but if the lesson
+be true, the Italians ought to be the healthiest and wealthiest and
+wisest of all men and women.  Three or four o’clock seems to them quite a
+natural hour for commencing the day’s work.  Why we should have started
+from Chiavenna at four o’clock in order that we might be kept waiting for
+the boat an hour and a half on the little quay at Colico, I don’t know;
+but such was our destiny.  There we remained an hour and a half; Mrs.
+Greene sitting pertinaciously on the one important box.  She had
+designated it as being smaller than the others, and, as all the seven
+were now ranged in a row, I had an opportunity of comparing them.  It was
+something smaller,—perhaps an inch less high, and an inch and a half
+shorter.  She was a sharp woman, and observed my scrutiny.  “I always
+know it,” she said in a loud whisper, “by this little hole in the
+canvas,” and she put her finger on a slight rent on one of the ends.  “As
+for Greene, if one of those Italian brigands were to walk off with it on
+his shoulders, before his eyes, he wouldn’t be the wiser.  How helpless
+you men are, Mr. Robinson!”
+
+“It is well for us that we have women to look after us.”
+
+“But you have got no one to look after you;—or perhaps you have left her
+behind?”
+
+“No, indeed.  I’m all alone in the world as yet.  But it’s not my own
+fault.  I have asked half a dozen.”
+
+“Now, Mr. Robinson!”  And in this way the time passed on the quay at
+Colico, till the boat came and took us away.  I should have preferred to
+pass my time in making myself agreeable to the younger lady; but the
+younger lady stood aloof, turning up her nose, as I thought, at her
+mamma.
+
+I will not attempt to describe the scenery about Colico.  The little town
+itself is one of the vilest places under the sun, having no accommodation
+for travellers, and being excessively unhealthy; but there is very little
+either north or south of the Alps,—and, perhaps, I may add, very little
+elsewhere,—to beat the beauty of the mountains which cluster round the
+head of the lake.  When we had sat upon those boxes that hour and a half,
+we were taken on board the steamer, which had been lying off a little way
+from the shore, and then we commenced our journey.  Of course there was a
+good deal of exertion and care necessary in getting the packages off from
+the shore on to the boat, and I observed that any one with half an eye in
+his head might have seen that the mental anxiety expended on that one box
+which was marked by the small hole in the canvas far exceeded that which
+was extended to all the other six boxes.  “They deserve that it should be
+stolen,” I said to myself, “for being such fools.”  And then we went down
+to breakfast in the cabin.
+
+“I suppose it must be safe,” said Mrs. Greene to me, ignoring the fact
+that the cabin waiter understood English, although she had just ordered
+some veal cutlets in that language.
+
+“As safe as a church,” I replied, not wishing to give much apparent
+importance to the subject.
+
+“They can’t carry it off here,” said Mr. Greene.  But he was innocent of
+any attempt at a joke, and was looking at me with all his eyes.
+
+“They might throw it overboard,” said Sophonisba.  I at once made up my
+mind that she could not be a good-natured girl.  The moment that
+breakfast was over, Mrs. Greene returned again up-stairs, and I found her
+seated on one of the benches near the funnel, from which she could keep
+her eyes fixed upon the box.  “When one is obliged to carry about one’s
+jewels with one, one must be careful, Mr. Robinson,” she said to me
+apologetically.  But I was becoming tired of the box, and the funnel was
+hot and unpleasant, therefore I left her.
+
+I had made up my mind that Sophonisba was ill-natured; but, nevertheless,
+she was pretty, and I now went through some little manœuvres with the
+object of getting into conversation with her.  This I soon did, and was
+surprised by her frankness.  “How tired you must be of mamma and her
+box,” she said to me.  To this I made some answer, declaring that I was
+rather interested than otherwise in the safety of the precious trunk.
+“It makes me sick,” said Sophonisba, “to hear her go on in that way to a
+perfect stranger.  I heard what she said about her jewellery.”
+
+“It is natural she should be anxious,” I said, “seeing that it contains
+so much that is valuable.”
+
+“Why did she bring them?” said Sophonisba.  “She managed to live very
+well without jewels till papa married her, about a year since; and now
+she can’t travel about for a month without lugging them with her
+everywhere.  I should be so glad if some one would steal them.”
+
+“But all Mr. Greene’s money is there also.”
+
+“I don’t want papa to be bothered, but I declare I wish the box might be
+lost for a day or so.  She is such a fool; don’t you think so, Mr.
+Robinson?”
+
+At this time it was just fourteen hours since I first had made their
+acquaintance in the yard of Conradi’s hotel, and of those fourteen hours
+more than half had been passed in bed.  I must confess that I looked upon
+Sophonisba as being almost more indiscreet than her mother-in-law.
+Nevertheless, she was not stupid, and I continued my conversation with
+her the greatest part of the way down the lake towards Bellaggio.
+
+These steamers which run up and down the lake of Como and the Lago
+Maggiore, put out their passengers at the towns on the banks of the water
+by means of small rowing-boats, and the persons who are about to
+disembark generally have their own articles ready to their hands when
+their turn comes for leaving the steamer.  As we came near to Bellaggio,
+I looked up my own portmanteau, and, pointing to the beautiful
+wood-covered hill that stands at the fork of the waters, told my friend
+Greene that he was near his destination.  “I am very glad to hear it,”
+said he, complacently, but he did not at the moment busy himself about
+the boxes.  Then the small boat ran up alongside the steamer, and the
+passengers for Como and Milan crowded up the side.
+
+“We have to go in that boat,” I said to Greene.
+
+“Nonsense!” he exclaimed.
+
+“Oh, but we have.”
+
+“What! put our boxes into that boat,” said Mrs. Greene.  “Oh dear!  Here,
+boatman! there are seven of these boxes, all in white like this,” and she
+pointed to the one that had the hole in the canvas.  “Make haste.  And
+there are two bags, and my dressing case, and Mr. Greene’s portmanteau.
+Mr. Greene, where is your portmanteau?”
+
+The boatman whom she addressed, no doubt did not understand a word of
+English, but nevertheless he knew what she meant, and, being well
+accustomed to the work, got all the luggage together in an incredibly
+small number of moments.
+
+“If you will get down into the boat,” I said, “I will see that the
+luggage follows you before I leave the deck.”
+
+“I won’t stir,” she said, “till I see that box lifted down.  Take care;
+you’ll let it fall into the lake.  I know you will.”
+
+“I wish they would,” Sophonisba whispered into my ear.
+
+Mr. Greene said nothing, but I could see that his eyes were as anxiously
+fixed on what was going on as were those of his wife.  At last, however,
+the three Greens were in the boat, as also were all the packages.  Then I
+followed them, my portmanteau having gone down before me, and we pushed
+off for Bellaggio.  Up to this period most of the attendants around us
+had understood a word or two of English, but now it would be well if we
+could find some one to whose ears French would not be unfamiliar.  As
+regarded Mr. Greene and his wife, they, I found, must give up all
+conversation, as they knew nothing of any language but their own.
+Sophonisba could make herself understood in French, and was quite at
+home, as she assured me, in German.  And then the boat was beached on the
+shore at Bellaggio, and we all had to go again to work with the object of
+getting ourselves lodged at the hotel which overlooks the water.
+
+I had learned before that the Greenes were quite free from any trouble in
+this respect, for their rooms had been taken for them before they left
+England.  Trusting to this, Mrs. Greene gave herself no inconsiderable
+airs the moment her foot was on the shore, and ordered the people about
+as though she were the Lady Paramount of Bellaggio.  Italians, however,
+are used to this from travellers of a certain description.  They never
+resent such conduct, but simply put it down in the bill with the other
+articles.  Mrs. Greene’s words on this occasion were innocent enough,
+seeing that they were English; but had I been that head waiter who came
+down to the beach with his nice black shiny hair, and his napkin under
+his arm, I should have thought her manner very insolent.
+
+Indeed, as it was, I did think so, and was inclined to be angry with her.
+She was to remain for some time at Bellaggio, and therefore it behoved
+her, as she thought, to assume the character of the grand lady at once.
+Hitherto she had been willing enough to do the work, but now she began to
+order about Mr. Greene and Sophonisba; and, as it appeared to me, to
+order me about also.  I did not quite enjoy this; so leaving her still
+among her luggage and satellites, I walked up to the hotel to see about
+my own bed-room.  I had some seltzer water, stood at the window for three
+or four minutes, and then walked up and down the room.  But still the
+Greenes were not there.  As I had put in at Bellaggio solely with the
+object of seeing something more of Sophonisba, it would not do for me to
+quarrel with them, or to allow them so to settle themselves in their
+private sitting-room, that I should be excluded.  Therefore I returned
+again to the road by which they must come up, and met the procession near
+the house.
+
+Mrs. Greene was leading it with great majesty, the waiter with the shiny
+hair walking by her side to point out to her the way.  Then came all the
+luggage,—each porter carrying a white canvas-covered box.  That which was
+so valuable no doubt was carried next to Mrs. Greene, so that she might
+at a moment’s notice put her eye upon the well-known valuable rent.  I
+confess that I did not observe the hole as the train passed by me, nor
+did I count the number of the boxes.  Seven boxes, all alike, are very
+many; and then they were followed by three other men with the inferior
+articles,—Mr. Greene’s portmanteau, the carpetbag, &e., &c.  At the tail
+of the line, I found Mr. Greene, and behind him Sophonisba.  “All your
+fatigues will be over now,” I said to the gentleman, thinking it well not
+to be too particular in my attentions to his daughter.  He was panting
+beneath a terrible great-coat, having forgotten that the shores of an
+Italian lake are not so cold as the summits of the Alps, and did not
+answer me.  “I’m sure I hope so,” said Sophonisba.  “And I shall advise
+papa not to go any farther unless he can persuade Mrs. Greene to send her
+jewels home.”  “Sophy, my dear,” he said, “for Heaven’s sake let us have
+a little peace since we are here.”  From all which I gathered that Mr.
+Green had not been fortunate in his second matrimonial adventure.  We
+then made our way slowly up to the hotel, having been altogether
+distanced by the porters, and when we reached the house we found that the
+different packages were already being carried away through the house,
+some this way and some that.  Mrs. Green, the meanwhile, was talking
+loudly at the door of her own sitting-room.
+
+“Mr. Greene,” she said, as soon as she saw her heavily oppressed
+spouse,—for the noonday sun was up,—“Mr. Greene, where are you?”
+
+“Here, my dear,” and Mr. Greene threw himself panting into the corner of
+a sofa.
+
+“A little seltzer water and brandy,” I suggested.  Mr. Greene’s inmost
+heart leaped at the hint, and nothing that his remonstrant wife could say
+would induce him to move, until he had enjoyed the delicious draught.  In
+the mean time the box with the hole in the canvas had been lost.
+
+Yes; when we came to look into matters, to count the packages, and to
+find out where we were, the box with the hole in the canvas was not
+there.  Or, at any rate, Mrs. Greene said it was not there.  I worked
+hard to look it up, and even went into Sophonisba’s bed-room in my
+search.  In Sophonisba’s bed-room there was but one canvas-covered box.
+“That is my own,” said she, “and it is all that I have, except this bag.”
+
+“Where on earth can it be?” said I, sitting down on the trunk in
+question.  At the moment I almost thought that she had been instrumental
+in hiding it.
+
+“How am I to know?” she answered; and I fancied that even she was
+dismayed.  “What a fool that woman is!”
+
+“The box must be in the house,” I said.
+
+“Do find it, for papa’s sake; there’s a good fellow.  He will be so
+wretched without his money.  I heard him say that he had only two pounds
+in his purse.”
+
+“Oh, I can let him have money to go on with,” I answered grandly.  And
+then I went off to prove that I was a good fellow, and searched
+throughout the house.  Two white boxes had by order been left downstairs,
+as they would not be needed; and these two were in a large cupboard of
+the hall, which was used expressly for stowing away luggage.  And then
+there were three in Mrs. Greene’s bed-room, which had been taken there as
+containing the wardrobe which she would require while remaining at
+Bellaggio.  I searched every one of these myself to see if I could find
+the hole in the canvas.  But the hole in the canvas was not there.  And
+let me count as I would, I could make out only six.  Now there certainly
+had been seven on board the steamer, though I could not swear that I had
+seen the seven put into the small boat.
+
+“Mr. Greene,” said the lady standing in the middle of her remaining
+treasures, all of which were now open, “you are worth nothing when
+travelling.  Were you not behind?”  But Mr. Greene’s mind was full, and
+he did not answer.
+
+“It has been stolen before your very eyes,” she continued.
+
+“Nonsense, mamma,” said Sophonisba.  “If ever it came out of the steamer
+it certainly came into the house.”
+
+“I saw it out of the steamer,” said Mrs. Greene, “and it certainly is not
+in the house.  Mr. Robinson, may I trouble you to send for the police?—at
+once, if you please, sir.”
+
+I had been at Bellaggio twice before, but nevertheless I was ignorant of
+their system of police.  And then, again, I did not know what was the
+Italian for the word.
+
+“I will speak to the landlord,” I said.
+
+“If you will have the goodness to send for the police at once, I will be
+obliged to you.”  And as she thus reiterated her command, she stamped
+with her foot upon the floor.
+
+“There are no police at Bellaggio,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“What on earth shall I do for money to go on with?” said Mr. Greene,
+looking piteously up to the ceiling, and shaking both his hands.
+
+And now the whole house was in an uproar, including not only the
+landlord, his wife and daughters, and all the servants, but also every
+other visitor at the hotel.  Mrs. Greene was not a lady who hid either
+her glories or her griefs under a bushel, and, though she spoke only in
+English, she soon made her protestations sufficiently audible.  She
+protested loudly that she had been robbed, and that she had been robbed
+since she left the steamer.  The box had come on shore; of that she was
+quite certain.  If the landlord had any regard either for his own
+character or for that of his house, he would ascertain before an hour was
+over where it was, and who had been the thief.  She would give him an
+hour.  And then she sat herself down; but in two minutes she was up
+again, vociferating her wrongs as loudly as ever.  All this was filtered
+through me and Sophonisba to the waiter in French, and from the waiter to
+the landlord; but the lady’s gestures required no translation to make
+them intelligible, and the state of her mind on the matter was, I
+believe, perfectly well understood.
+
+Mr. Greene I really did pity.  His feelings of dismay seemed to be quite
+as deep, but his sorrow and solicitude were repressed into more decorum.
+“What am I to do for money?” he said.  “I have not a shilling to go on
+with!”  And he still looked up at the ceiling.
+
+“You must send to England,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“It will take a month,” he replied.
+
+“Mr. Robinson will let you have what you want at present,” added
+Sophonisba.  Now I certainly had said so, and had meant it at the time.
+But my whole travelling store did not exceed forty or fifty pounds, with
+which I was going on to Venice, and then back to England through the
+Tyrol.  Waiting a month for Mr. Greene’s money from England might be even
+more inconvenient to me than to him.  Then it occurred to me that the
+wants of the Greene family would be numerous and expensive, and that my
+small stock would go but a little way among so many.  And what also if
+there had been no money and no jewels in that accursed box!  I confess
+that at the moment such an idea did strike my mind.  One hears of
+sharpers on every side committing depredations by means of most singular
+intrigues and contrivances.  Might it not be possible that the whole
+batch of Greenes belonged to this order of society.  It was a base idea,
+I own; but I confess that I entertained it for a moment.
+
+I retired to my own room for a while that I might think over all the
+circumstances.  There certainly had been seven boxes, and one had had a
+hole in the canvas.  All the seven had certainly been on board the
+steamer.  To so much I felt that I might safely swear.  I had not counted
+the seven into the small boat, but on leaving the larger vessel I had
+looked about the deck to see that none of the Greene trappings were
+forgotten.  If left on the steamer, it had been so left through an intent
+on the part of some one there employed.  It was quite possible that the
+contents of the box had been ascertained through the imprudence of Mrs.
+Greene, and that it had been conveyed away so that it might be rifled at
+Como.  As to Mrs. Greene’s assertion that all the boxes had been put into
+the small boat, I thought nothing of it.  The people at Bellaggio could
+not have known which box to steal, nor had there been time to concoct the
+plan in carrying the boxes up to the hotel.  I came at last to this
+conclusion, that the missing trunk had either been purloined and carried
+on to Como,—in which case it would be necessary to lose no time in going
+after it; or that it had been put out of sight in some uncommonly clever
+way, by the Greenes themselves, as an excuse for borrowing as much money
+as they could raise and living without payment of their bills.  With
+reference to the latter hypothesis, I declared to myself that Greene did
+not look like a swindler; but as to Mrs. Greene—!  I confess that I did
+not feel so confident in regard to her.
+
+Charity begins at home, so I proceeded to make myself comfortable in my
+room, feeling almost certain that I should not be able to leave Bellaggio
+on the following morning.  I had opened my portmanteau when I first
+arrived, leaving it open on the floor as is my wont.  Some people are
+always being robbed, and are always locking up everything; while others
+wander safe over the world and never lock up anything.  For myself, I
+never turn a key anywhere, and no one ever purloins from me even a
+handkerchief.  Cantabit vacuus—, and I am always sufficiently vacuus.
+Perhaps it is that I have not a handkerchief worth the stealing.  It is
+your heavy-laden, suspicious, mal-adroit Greenes that the thieves attack.
+I now found out that the accommodating Boots, who already knew my ways,
+had taken my travelling gear into a dark recess which was intended to do
+for a dressing-room, and had there spread my portmanteau open upon some
+table or stool in the corner.  It was a convenient arrangement, and there
+I left it during the whole period of my sojourn.
+
+Mrs. Greene had given the landlord an hour to find the box, and during
+that time the landlord, the landlady, their three daughters, and all the
+servants in the house certainly did exert themselves to the utmost.  Half
+a dozen times they came to my door, but I was luxuriating in a
+washing-tub, making up for that four-o’clock start from Chiavenna.  I
+assured them, however, that the box was not there, and so the search
+passed by.  At the end of the hour I went back to the Greenes according
+to promise, having resolved that some one must be sent on to Como to look
+after the missing article.
+
+There was no necessity to knock at their sitting-room door, for it was
+wide open.  I walked in, and found Mrs. Greene still engaged in attacking
+the landlord, while all the porters who had carried the luggage up to the
+house were standing round.  Her voice was loud above the others, but,
+luckily for them all, she was speaking English.  The landlord, I saw, was
+becoming sulky.  He spoke in Italian, and we none of us understood him,
+but I gathered that he was declining to do anything further.  The box, he
+was certain, had never come out of the steamer.  The Boots stood by
+interpreting into French, and, acting as second interpreter, I put it
+into English.
+
+Mr. Greene, who was seated on the sofa, groaned audibly, but said
+nothing.  Sophonisba, who was sitting by him, beat upon the floor with
+both her feet.
+
+“Do you hear, Mr. Greene?” said she, turning to him.  “Do you mean to
+allow that vast amount of property to be lost without an effort?  Are you
+prepared to replace my jewels?”
+
+“Her jewels!” said Sophonisba, looking up into my face.  “Papa had to pay
+the bill for every stitch she had when he married her.”  These last words
+were so spoken as to be audible only by me, but her first exclamation was
+loud enough.  Were they people for whom it would be worth my while to
+delay my journey, and put myself to serious inconvenience with reference
+to money?
+
+A few minutes afterwards I found myself with Greene on the terrace before
+the house.  “What ought I to do?” said he.
+
+“Go to Como,” said I, “and look after your box.  I will remain here and
+go on board the return steamer.  It may perhaps be there.”
+
+“But I can’t speak a word of Italian,” said he.
+
+“Take the Boots,” said I.
+
+“But I can’t speak a word of French.”  And then it ended in my
+undertaking to go to Como.  I swear that the thought struck me that I
+might as well take my portmanteau with me, and cut and run when I got
+there.  The Greenes were nothing to me.
+
+I did not, however, do this.  I made the poor man a promise, and I kept
+it.  I took merely a dressing-bag, for I knew that I must sleep at Como;
+and, thus resolving to disarrange all my plans, I started.  I was in the
+midst of beautiful scenery, but I found it quite impossible to draw any
+enjoyment from it;—from that or from anything around me.  My whole mind
+was given up to anathemas against this odious box, as to which I had
+undoubtedly heavy cause of complaint.  What was the box to me?  I went to
+Como by the afternoon steamer, and spent a long dreary evening down on
+the steamboat quays searching everywhere, and searching in vain.  The
+boat by which we had left Colico had gone back to Colico, but the people
+swore that nothing had been left on board it.  It was just possible that
+such a box might have gone on to Milan with the luggage of other
+passengers.
+
+I slept at Como, and on the following morning I went on to Milan.  There
+was no trace of the box to be found in that city.  I went round to every
+hotel and travelling office, but could hear nothing of it.  Parties had
+gone to Venice, and Florence, and Bologna, and any of them might have
+taken the box.  No one, however, remembered it; and I returned back to
+Como, and thence to Bellaggio, reaching the latter place at nine in the
+evening, disappointed, weary, and cross.
+
+“Has Monsieur found the accursed trunk?” said the Bellaggio Boots,
+meeting me on the quay.
+
+“In the name of the—, no.  Has it not turned up here?”
+
+“Monsieur,” said the Boots, “we shall all be mad soon.  The poor master,
+he is mad already.”  And then I went up to the house.
+
+“My jewels!” shouted Mrs. Greene, rushing to me with her arms stretched
+out as soon as she heard my step in the corridor.  I am sure that she
+would have embraced me had I found the box.  I had not, however, earned
+any such reward.  “I can hear nothing of the box either at Como or
+Milan,” I said.
+
+“Then what on earth am I to do for my money?” said Mr. Greene.
+
+I had had neither dinner nor supper, but the elder Greenes did not care
+for that.  Mr. Greene sat silent in despair, and Mrs. Greene stormed
+about the room in her anger.  “I am afraid you are very tired,” said
+Sophonisba.
+
+“I am tired, and hungry, and thirsty,” said I.  I was beginning to get
+angry, and to think myself ill used.  And that idea as to a family of
+swindlers became strong again.  Greene had borrowed ten napoleons from me
+before I started for Como, and I had spent above four in my fruitless
+journey to that place and Milan.  I was beginning to fear that my whole
+purpose as to Venice and the Tyrol would be destroyed; and I had promised
+to meet friends at Innspruck, who,—who were very much preferable to the
+Greenes.  As events turned out, I did meet them.  Had I failed in this,
+the present Mrs. Robinson would not have been sitting opposite to me.
+
+I went to my room and dressed myself, and then Sophonisba presided over
+the tea-table for me.  “What are we to do?” she asked me in a
+confidential whisper.
+
+“Wait for money from England.”
+
+“But they will think we are all sharpers,” she said; “and upon my word I
+do not wonder at it from the way in which that woman goes on.”  She then
+leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and her face on her hand,
+and told me a long history of all their family discomforts.  Her papa was
+a very good sort of man, only he had been made a fool of by that
+intriguing woman, who had been left without a sixpence with which to
+bless herself.  And now they had nothing but quarrels and misery.  Papa
+did not always got the worst of it;—papa could rouse himself sometimes;
+only now he was beaten down and cowed by the loss of his money.  This
+whispering confidence was very nice in its way, seeing that Sophonisba
+was a pretty girl; but the whole matter seemed to be full of suspicion.
+
+“If they did not want to take you in in one way, they did in another,”
+said the present Mrs. Robinson, when I told the story to her at
+Innspruck.  I beg that it may be understood that at the time of my
+meeting the Greenes I was not engaged to the present Mrs. Robinson, and
+was open to make any matrimonial engagement that might have been pleasing
+to me.
+
+On the next morning, after breakfast, we held a council of war.  I had
+been informed that Mr. Greene had made a fortune, and was justified in
+presuming him to be a rich man.  It seemed to me, therefore, that his
+course was easy.  Let him wait at Bellaggio for more money, and when he
+returned home, let him buy Mrs. Greene more jewels.  A poor man always
+presumes that a rich man is indifferent about his money.  But in truth a
+rich man never is indifferent about his money, and poor Greene looked
+very blank at my proposition.
+
+“Do you mean to say that it’s gone for ever?” he asked.
+
+“I’ll not leave the country without knowing more about it,” said Mrs.
+Greene.
+
+“It certainly is very odd,” said Sophonisba.  Even Sophonisba seemed to
+think that I was too off-hand.
+
+“It will be a month before I can get money, and my bill here will be
+something tremendous,” said Greene.
+
+“I wouldn’t pay them a farthing till I got my box,” said Mrs. Greene.
+
+“That’s nonsense,” said Sophonisba.  And so it was.  “Hold your tongue,
+Miss!” said the step-mother.
+
+“Indeed, I shall not hold my tongue,” said the step-daughter.  Poor
+Greene!  He had lost more than his box within the last twelve months;
+for, as I had learned in that whispered conversation over the tea-table
+with Sophonisba; this was in reality her papa’s marriage trip.
+
+Another day was now gone, and we all went to bed.  Had I not been very
+foolish I should have had myself called at five in the morning, and have
+gone away by the early boat, leaving my ten napoleons behind me.  But,
+unfortunately, Sophonisba had exacted a promise from me that I would not
+do this, and thus all chance of spending a day or two in Venice was lost
+to me.  Moreover, I was thoroughly fatigued, and almost glad of any
+excuse which would allow me to lie in bed on the following morning.  I
+did lie in bed till nine o’clock, and then found the Greenes at
+breakfast.
+
+“Let us go and look at the Serbelloni Gardens,” said I, as soon as the
+silent meal was over; “or take a boat over to the Sommariva Villa.”
+
+“I should like it so much,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“We will do nothing of the kind till I have found my property,” said Mrs.
+Greene.  “Mr. Robinson, what arrangement did you make yesterday with the
+police at Como?”
+
+“The police at Como?” I said.  “I did not go to the police.”
+
+“Not go to the police?  And do you mean to say that I am to be robbed of
+my jewels and no efforts made for redress?  Is there no such thing as a
+constable in this wretched country?  Mr. Greene, I do insist upon it that
+you at once go to the nearest British consul.”
+
+“I suppose I had better write home for money,” said he.
+
+“And do you mean to say that you haven’t written yet?” said I, probably
+with some acrimony in my voice.
+
+“You needn’t scold papa,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“I don’t know what I am to do,” said Mr. Greene, and he began walking up
+and down the room; but still he did not call for pen and ink, and I began
+again to feel that he was a swindler.  Was it possible that a man of
+business, who had made his fortune in London, should allow his wife to
+keep all her jewels in a box, and carry about his own money in the same?
+
+“I don’t see why you need be so very unhappy, papa,” said Sophonisba.
+“Mr. Robinson, I’m sure, will let you have whatever money you may want at
+present.”  This was pleasant!
+
+“And will Mr. Robinson return me my jewels which were lost, I must say,
+in a great measure, through his carelessness,” said Mrs. Greene.  This
+was pleasanter!
+
+“Upon my word, Mrs. Greene, I must deny that,” said I, jumping up.  “What
+on earth could I have done more than I did do?  I have been to Milan and
+nearly fagged myself to death.”
+
+“Why didn’t you bring a policeman back with you?”
+
+“You would tell everybody on board the boat what there was in it,” said
+I.
+
+“I told nobody but you,” she answered.
+
+“I suppose you mean to imply that I’ve taken the box,” I rejoined.  So
+that on this, the third or fourth day of our acquaintance, we did not go
+on together quite pleasantly.
+
+But what annoyed me, perhaps, the most, was the confidence with which it
+seemed to be Mr. Greene’s intention to lean upon my resources.  He
+certainly had not written home yet, and had taken my ten napoleons, as
+one friend may take a few shillings from another when he finds that he
+has left his own silver on his dressing-table.  What could he have wanted
+of ten napoleons?  He had alleged the necessity of paying the porters,
+but the few francs he had had in his pocket would have been enough for
+that.  And now Sophonisba was ever and again prompt in her assurances
+that he need not annoy himself about money, because I was at his right
+hand.  I went upstairs into my own room, and counting all my treasures,
+found that thirty-six pounds and some odd silver was the extent of my
+wealth.  With that I had to go, at any rate, as far as Innspruck, and
+from thence back to London.  It was quite impossible that I should make
+myself responsible for the Greenes’ bill at Bellaggio.
+
+We dined early, and after dinner, according to a promise made in the
+morning, Sophonisba ascended with me into the Serbelloni Gardens, and
+walked round the terraces on that beautiful hill which commands the view
+of the three lakes.  When we started I confess that I would sooner have
+gone alone, for I was sick of the Greenes in my very soul.  We had had a
+terrible day.  The landlord had been sent for so often, that he refused
+to show himself again.  The landlady—though Italians of that class are
+always courteous—had been so driven that she snapped her fingers in Mrs.
+Greene’s face.  The three girls would not show themselves.  The waiters
+kept out of the way as much as possible; and the Boots, in confidence,
+abused them to me behind their back.  “Monsieur,” said the Boots, “do you
+think there ever was such a box?”
+
+“Perhaps not,” said I; and yet I knew that I had seen it.
+
+I would, therefore, have preferred to walk without Sophonisba; but that
+now was impossible.  So I determined that I would utilise the occasion by
+telling her of my present purpose.  I had resolved to start on the
+following day, and it was now necessary to make my friends understand
+that it was not in my power to extend to them any further pecuniary
+assistance.
+
+Sophonisba, when we were on the hill, seemed to have forgotten the box,
+and to be willing that I should forget it also.  But this was impossible.
+When, therefore, she told me how sweet it was to escape from that
+terrible woman, and leaned on my arm with all the freedom of old
+acquaintance, I was obliged to cut short the pleasure of the moment.
+
+“I hope your father has written that letter,” said I.
+
+“He means to write it from Milan.  We know you want to get on, so we
+purpose to leave here the day after to-morrow.”
+
+“Oh!” said I thinking of the bill immediately, and remembering that Mrs.
+Greene had insisted on having champagne for dinner.
+
+“And if anything more is to be done about the nasty box, it may be done
+there,” continued Sophonisba.
+
+“But I must go to-morrow,” said I, “at 5 a.m.”
+
+“Nonsense,” said Sophonisba.  “Go to-morrow, when I,—I mean we,—are going
+on the next day!”
+
+“And I might as well explain,” said I, gently dropping the hand that was
+on my arm, “that I find,—I find it will be impossible for me—to—to—”
+
+“To what?”
+
+“To advance Mr. Greene any more money just at present.”  Then
+Sophonisba’s arm dropped all at once, and she exclaimed, “Oh, Mr.
+Robinson!”
+
+After all, there was a certain hard good sense about Miss Greene which
+would have protected her from my evil thoughts had I known all the truth.
+I found out afterwards that she was a considerable heiress, and, in spite
+of the opinion expressed by the present Mrs. Robinson when Miss Walker, I
+do not for a moment think she would have accepted me had I offered to
+her.
+
+“You are quite right not to embarrass yourself,” she said, when I
+explained to her my immediate circumstances; “but why did you make papa
+an offer which you cannot perform?  He must remain here now till he hears
+from England.  Had you explained it all at first, the ten napoleons would
+have carried us to Milan.”  This was all true, and yet I thought it hard
+upon me.
+
+It was evident to me now, that Sophonisba was prepared to join her
+step-mother in thinking that I had ill-treated them, and I had not much
+doubt that I should find Mr. Greene to be of the same opinion.  There was
+very little more said between us during the walk, and when we reached the
+hotel at seven or half-past seven o’clock, I merely remarked that I would
+go in and wish her father and mother good-bye.  “I suppose you will drink
+tea with us,” said Sophonisba, and to this I assented.
+
+I went into my own room, and put all my things into my portmanteau, for
+according to the custom, which is invariable in Italy when an early start
+is premeditated, the Boots was imperative in his demand that the luggage
+should be ready over night.  I then went to the Greene’s sitting-room,
+and found that the whole party was now aware of my intentions.
+
+“So you are going to desert us,” said Mrs. Greene.
+
+“I must go on upon my journey,” I pleaded in a weak apologetic voice.
+
+“Go on upon your journey, sir!” said Mrs. Greene.  “I would not for a
+moment have you put yourself to inconvenience on our account.”  And yet I
+had already lost fourteen napoleons, and given up all prospect of going
+to Venice!
+
+“Mr. Robinson is certainly right not to break his engagement with Miss
+Walker,” said Sophonisba.  Now I had said not a word about an engagement
+with Miss Walker, having only mentioned incidentally that she would be
+one of the party at Innspruck.  “But,” continued she, “I think he should
+not have misled us.”  And in this way we enjoyed our evening meal.
+
+I was just about to shake hands with them all, previous to my final
+departure from their presence, when the Boots came into the room.
+
+“I’ll leave the portmanteau till to-morrow morning,” said he.
+
+“All right,” said I.
+
+“Because,” said he, “there will be such a crowd of things in the hall.
+The big trunk I will take away now.”
+
+“Big trunk,—what big trunk?”
+
+“The trunk with your rug over it, on which your portmanteau stood.”
+
+I looked round at Mr., Mrs., and Miss Greene, and saw that they were all
+looking at me.  I looked round at them, and as their eyes met mine I felt
+that I turned as red as fire.  I immediately jumped up and rushed away to
+my own room, hearing as I went that all their steps were following me.  I
+rushed to the inner recess, pulled down the portmanteau, which still
+remained in its old place, tore away my own carpet rug which covered the
+support beneath it, and there saw—a white canvas-covered box, with a hole
+in the canvas on the side next to me!
+
+“It is my box,” said Mrs. Greene, pushing me away, as she hurried up and
+put her finger within the rent.
+
+“It certainly does look like it,” said Mr. Greene, peering over his
+wife’s shoulder.
+
+“There’s no doubt about the box,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“Not the least in life,” said I, trying to assume an indifferent look.
+
+“Mon Dieu!” said the Boots.
+
+“Corpo di Baccho!” exclaimed the landlord, who had now joined the party.
+
+“Oh—h—h—h—!” screamed Mrs. Greene, and then she threw herself back on to
+my bed, and shrieked hysterically.
+
+There was no doubt whatsoever about the fact.  There was the lost box,
+and there it had been during all those tedious hours of unavailing
+search.  While I was suffering all that fatigue in Milan, spending my
+precious zwanzigers in driving about from one hotel to another, the box
+had been safe, standing in my own room at Bellaggio, hidden by my own
+rug.  And now that it was found everybody looked at me as though it were
+all my fault.
+
+Mrs. Greene’s eyes, when she had done being hysterical, were terrible,
+and Sophonisba looked at me as though I were a convicted thief.
+
+“Who put the box here?” I said, turning fiercely upon the Boots.
+
+“I did,” said the Boots, “by Monsieur’s express order.”
+
+“By my order?” I exclaimed.
+
+“Certainly,” said the Boots.
+
+“Corpo di Baccho!” said the landlord, and he also looked at me as though
+I were a thief.  In the mean time the landlady and the three daughters
+had clustered round Mrs. Greene, administering to her all manner of
+Italian consolation.  The box, and the money, and the jewels were after
+all a reality; and much incivility can be forgiven to a lady who has
+really lost her jewels, and has really found them again.
+
+There and then there arose a hurly-burly among us as to the manner in
+which the odious trunk found its way into my room.  Had anybody been just
+enough to consider the matter coolly, it must have been quite clear that
+I could not have ordered it there.  When I entered the hotel, the boxes
+were already being lugged about, and I had spoken a word to no one
+concerning them.  That traitorous Boots had done it,—no doubt without
+malice prepense; but he had done it; and now that the Greenes were once
+more known as moneyed people, he turned upon me, and told me to my face,
+that I had desired that box to be taken to my own room as part of my own
+luggage!
+
+“My dear,” said Mr. Greene, turning to his wife, “you should never
+mention the contents of your luggage to any one.”
+
+“I never will again,” said Mrs. Greene, with a mock repentant air, “but I
+really thought—”
+
+“One never can be sure of sharpers,” said Mr. Greene.
+
+“That’s true,” said Mrs. Greene.
+
+“After all, it may have been accidental,” said Sophonisba, on hearing
+which good-natured surmise both papa and mamma Greene shook their
+suspicious heads.
+
+I was resolved to say nothing then.  It was all but impossible that they
+should really think that I had intended to steal their box; nor, if they
+did think so, would it have become me to vindicate myself before the
+landlord and all his servants.  I stood by therefore in silence, while
+two of the men raised the trunk, and joined the procession which followed
+it as it was carried out of my room into that of the legitimate owner.
+Everybody in the house was there by that time, and Mrs. Greene, enjoying
+the triumph, by no means grudged them the entrance into her sitting-room.
+She had felt that she was suspected, and now she was determined that the
+world of Bellaggio should know how much she was above suspicion.  The box
+was put down upon two chairs, the supporters who had borne it retiring a
+pace each.  Mrs. Greene then advanced proudly with the selected key, and
+Mr. Greene stood by at her right shoulder, ready to receive his portion
+of the hidden treasure.  Sophonisba was now indifferent, and threw
+herself on the sofa, while I walked up and down the room
+thoughtfully,—meditating what words I should say when I took my last
+farewell of the Greenes.  But as I walked I could see what occurred.
+Mrs. Greene opened the box, and displayed to view the ample folds of a
+huge yellow woollen dressing-down.  I could fancy that she would not
+willingly have exhibited this article of her toilet, had she not felt
+that its existence would speedily be merged in the presence of the
+glories which were to follow.  This had merely been the padding at the
+top of the box.  Under that lay a long papier-maché case, and in that
+were all her treasures.  “Ah, they are safe,” she said, opening the lid
+and looking upon her tawdry pearls and carbuncles.
+
+Mr. Greene, in the mean time, well knowing the passage for his hand, had
+dived down to the very bottom of the box, and seized hold of a small
+canvas bag.  “It is here,” said he, dragging it up, “and as far as I can
+tell, as yet, the knot has not been untied.”  Whereupon he sat himself
+down by Sophonisba, and employing her to assist him in holding them,
+began to count his rolls.  “They are all right,” said he; and he wiped
+the perspiration from his brow.
+
+I had not yet made up my mind in what manner I might best utter my last
+words among them so as to maintain the dignity of my character, and now I
+was standing over against Mr. Greene with my arms folded on my breast.  I
+had on my face a frown of displeasure, which I am able to assume upon
+occasions, but I had not yet determined what words I would use.  After
+all, perhaps, it might be as well that I should leave them without any
+last words.
+
+“Greene, my dear,” said the lady, “pay the gentleman his ten napoleons.”
+
+“Oh yes, certainly;” whereupon Mr. Greene undid one of the rolls and
+extracted eight sovereigns.  “I believe that will make it right, sir,”
+said he, handing them to me.
+
+I took the gold, slipped it with an indifferent air into my waistcoat
+pocket, and then refolded my arms across my breast.
+
+“Papa,” said Sophonisba, in a very audible whisper, “Mr. Robinson went
+for you to Como.  Indeed, I believe he says he went to Milan.”
+
+“Do not let that be mentioned,” said I.
+
+“By all means pay him his expenses,” said Mrs. Greene; “I would not owe
+him anything for worlds.”
+
+“He should be paid,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“Oh, certainly,” said Mr. Greene.  And he at once extracted another
+sovereign, and tendered it to me in the face of the assembled multitude.
+
+This was too much!  “Mr. Greene,” said I, “I intended to be of service to
+you when I went to Milan, and you are very welcome to the benefit of my
+intentions.  The expense of that journey, whatever may be its amount, is
+my own affair.”  And I remained standing with my closed arms.
+
+“We will be under no obligation to him,” said Mrs. Greene; “and I shall
+insist on his taking the money.”
+
+“The servant will put it on his dressing-table,” said Sophonisba.  And
+she handed the sovereign to the Boots, giving him instructions.
+
+“Keep it yourself, Antonio,” I said.  Whereupon the man chucked it to the
+ceiling with his thumb, caught it as it fell, and with a well-satisfied
+air, dropped it into the recesses of his pocket.  The air of the Greenes
+was also well satisfied, for they felt that they had paid me in full for
+all my services.
+
+And now, with many obsequious bows and assurances of deep respect, the
+landlord and his family withdrew from the room.  “Was there anything else
+they could do for Mrs. Greene?”  Mrs. Greene was all affability.  She had
+shown her jewels to the girls, and allowed them to express their
+admiration in pretty Italian superlatives.  There was nothing else she
+wanted to-night.  She was very happy and liked Bellaggio.  She would stay
+yet a week, and would make herself quite happy.  And, though none of them
+understood a word that the other said, each understood that things were
+now rose-coloured, and so with scrapings, bows, and grinning smiles, the
+landlord and all his myrmidons withdrew.  Mr. Greene was still counting
+his money, sovereign by sovereign, and I was still standing with my
+folded arms upon my bosom.
+
+“I believe I may now go,” said I.
+
+“Good night,” said Mrs. Greene.
+
+“Adieu,” said Sophonisba.
+
+“I have the pleasure of wishing you good-bye,” said Mr. Greene.
+
+And then I walked out of the room.  After all, what was the use of saying
+anything?  And what could I say that would have done me any service?  If
+they were capable of thinking me a thief,—which they certainly
+did,—nothing that I could say would remove the impression.  Nor, as I
+thought, was it suitable that I should defend myself from such an
+imputation.  What were the Greenes to me?  So I walked slowly out of the
+room, and never again saw one of the family from that day to this.
+
+As I stood upon the beach the next morning, while my portmanteau was
+being handed into the boat, I gave the Boots five zwanzigers.  I was
+determined to show him that I did not condescend to feel anger against
+him.
+
+He took the money, looked into my face, and then whispered to me, “Why
+did you not give me a word of notice beforehand?” he said, and winked his
+eye.  He was evidently a thief, and took me to be another;—but what did
+it matter?
+
+I went thence to Milan, in which city I had no heart to look at anything;
+thence to Verona, and so over the pass of the Brenner to Innspruck.  When
+I once found myself near to my dear friends the Walkers I was again a
+happy man; and I may safely declare that, though a portion of my journey
+was so troublesome and unfortunate, I look back upon that tour as the
+happiest and the luckiest epoch of my life.
+
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A
+BOX***
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+
+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Man who kept his Money in a Box, by
+Anthony Trollope
+
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+
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+
+Title: The Man who kept his Money in a Box
+
+
+Author: Anthony Trollope
+
+
+
+Release Date: January 16, 2015  [eBook #3767]
+[This file was first posted on August 28, 2001]
+
+Language: English
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+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A
+BOX***
+</pre>
+<p>Transcribed from the 1864 Chapman and Hall &ldquo;Tales of All
+Countries&rdquo; edition by David Price, email
+ccx074@pglaf.org</p>
+<h1>THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A BOX.</h1>
+<p>I <span class="smcap">first</span> saw the man who kept his
+money in a box in the midst of the ravine of the Via Mala.&nbsp;
+I interchanged a few words with him or with his wife at the
+hospice, at the top of the Splugen; and I became acquainted with
+him in the courtyard of Conradi&rsquo;s hotel at Chiavenna.&nbsp;
+It was, however, afterwards at Bellaggio, on the lake of Como,
+that that acquaintance ripened into intimacy.&nbsp; A good many
+years have rolled by since then, and I believe this little
+episode in his life may be told without pain to the feelings of
+any one.</p>
+<p>His name was &mdash;; let us for the present say that his name
+was Greene.&nbsp; How he learned that my name was Robinson I do
+not know, but I remember well that he addressed me by my name at
+Chiavenna.&nbsp; To go back, however, for a moment to the Via
+Mala;&mdash;I had been staying for a few days at the Golden Eagle
+at Tusis,&mdash;which, by-the-bye, I hold to be the best small
+inn in all Switzerland, and its hostess to be, or to have been,
+certainly the prettiest landlady,&mdash;and on the day of my
+departure southwards, I had walked on, into the Via Mala, so that
+the diligence might pick me up in the gorge.&nbsp; This pass I
+regard as one of the grandest spots to which my wandering steps
+have ever carried me, and though I had already lingered about it
+for many hours, I now walked thither again to take my last
+farewell of its dark towering rocks, its narrow causeway and
+roaring river, trusting to my friend the landlady to see that my
+luggage was duly packed upon the diligence.&nbsp; I need hardly
+say that my friend did not betray her trust.</p>
+<p>As one goes out from Switzerland towards Italy, the road
+through the Via Mala ascends somewhat steeply, and passengers by
+the diligence may walk from the inn at Tusis into the gorge, and
+make their way through the greater part of the ravine before the
+vehicle will overtake them.&nbsp; This, however, Mr. Greene with
+his wife and daughter had omitted to do.&nbsp; When the diligence
+passed me in the defile, the horses trotting for a few yards over
+some level portion of the road, I saw a man&rsquo;s nose pressed
+close against the glass of the coup&eacute; window.&nbsp; I saw
+more of his nose than of any other part of his face, but yet I
+could perceive that his neck was twisted and his eye upturned,
+and that he was making a painful effort to look upwards to the
+summit of the rocks from his position inside the carriage.</p>
+<p>There was such a roar of wind and waters at the spot that it
+was not practicable to speak to him, but I beckoned with my
+finger and then pointed to the road, indicating that he should
+have walked.&nbsp; He understood me, though I did not at the
+moment understand his answering gesture.&nbsp; It was
+subsequently, when I knew somewhat of his habits, that he
+explained to me that on pointing to his open mouth, he had
+intended to signify that he would be afraid of sore throat in
+exposing himself to the air of that damp and narrow passage.</p>
+<p>I got up into the conductor&rsquo;s covered seat at the back
+of the diligence, and in this position encountered the drifting
+snow of the Splugen.&nbsp; I think it is coldest of all the
+passes.&nbsp; Near the top of the pass the diligence stops for
+awhile, and it is here, if I remember, that the Austrian
+officials demand the travellers&rsquo; passports.&nbsp; At least
+in those days they did so.&nbsp; These officials have now
+retreated behind the Quadrilat&egrave;re,&mdash;soon, as we hope,
+to make a further retreat,&mdash;and the district belongs to the
+kingdom of United Italy.&nbsp; There is a place of refreshment or
+hospice here, into which we all went for a few moments, and I
+then saw that my friend with the weak throat was accompanied by
+two ladies.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You should not have missed the Via Mala,&rdquo; I said
+to him, as he stood warming his toes at the huge covered
+stove.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We miss everything,&rdquo; said the elder of the two
+ladies, who, however, was very much younger than the gentleman,
+and not very much older than her companion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I saw it beautifully, mamma,&rdquo; said the younger
+one; whereupon mamma gave her head a toss, and made up her mind,
+as I thought, to take some little vengeance before long upon her
+step-daughter.&nbsp; I observed that Miss Greene always called
+her step-mother mamma on the first approach of any stranger, so
+that the nature of the connection between them might be
+understood.&nbsp; And I observed also that the elder lady always
+gave her head a toss when she was so addressed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t mean to enjoy ourselves till we get down
+to the lake of Como,&rdquo; said Mr. Greene.&nbsp; As I looked at
+him cowering over the stove, and saw how oppressed he was with
+great coats and warm wrappings for his throat, I quite agreed
+with him that he had not begun to enjoy himself as yet.&nbsp;
+Then we all got into our places again, and I saw no more of the
+Greenes till we were standing huddled together in the large
+courtyard of Conradi&rsquo;s hotel at Chiavenna.</p>
+<p>Chiavenna is the first Italian town which the tourist reaches
+by this route, and I know no town in the North of Italy which is
+so closely surrounded by beautiful scenery.&nbsp; The traveller
+as he falls down to it from the Splugen road is bewildered by the
+loveliness of the valleys,&mdash;that is to say, if he so
+arranges that he can see them without pressing his nose against
+the glass of a coach window.&nbsp; And then from the town itself
+there are walks of two, three, and four hours, which I think are
+unsurpassed for wild and sometimes startling beauties.&nbsp; One
+gets into little valleys, green as emeralds, and surrounded on
+all sides by grey broken rocks, in which Italian Rasselases might
+have lived in perfect bliss; and then again one comes upon
+distant views up the river courses, bounded far away by the spurs
+of the Alps, which are perfect,&mdash;to which the fancy can add
+no additional charm.&nbsp; Conradi&rsquo;s hotel also is by no
+means bad; or was not in those days.&nbsp; For my part I am
+inclined to think that Italian hotels have received a worse name
+than they deserve; and I must profess that, looking merely to
+creature comforts, I would much sooner stay a week at the Golden
+Key at Chiavenna, than with mine host of the King&rsquo;s Head in
+the thriving commercial town of Muddleboro, on the borders of
+Yorkshire and Lancashire.</p>
+<p>I am always rather keen about my room in travelling, and
+having secured a chamber looking out upon the mountains, had
+returned to the court-yard to collect my baggage before Mr.
+Greene had succeeded in realising his position, or understanding
+that he had to take upon himself the duties of settling his
+family for the night in the hotel by which he was
+surrounded.&nbsp; When I descended he was stripping off the
+outermost of three great coats, and four waiters around him were
+beseeching him to tell them what accommodation he would
+require.&nbsp; Mr. Greene was giving sundry very urgent
+instructions to the conductor respecting his boxes; but as these
+were given in English, I was not surprised to find that they were
+not accurately followed.&nbsp; The man, however, was much too
+courteous to say in any language that he did not understand every
+word that was said to him.&nbsp; Miss Greene was standing apart,
+doing nothing.&nbsp; As she was only eighteen years of age, it
+was of course her business to do nothing; and a very pretty
+little girl she was, by no means ignorant of her own beauty, and
+possessed of quite sufficient wit to enable her to make the most
+of it.</p>
+<p>Mr. Greene was very leisurely in his proceedings, and the four
+waiters were almost reduced to despair.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I want two bed-rooms, a dressing-room, and some
+dinner,&rdquo; he said at last, speaking very slowly, and in his
+own vernacular.&nbsp; I could not in the least assist him by
+translating it into Italian, for I did not speak a word of the
+language myself; but I suggested that the man would understand
+French.&nbsp; The waiter, however, had understood English.&nbsp;
+Waiters do understand all languages with a facility that is
+marvellous; and this one now suggested that Mrs. Greene should
+follow him up-stairs.&nbsp; Mrs. Greene, however, would not move
+till she had seen that her boxes were all right; and as Mrs.
+Greene was also a pretty woman, I found myself bound to apply
+myself to her assistance.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, thank you,&rdquo; said she.&nbsp; &ldquo;The people
+are so stupid that one can really do nothing with them.&nbsp; And
+as for Mr. Greene, he is of no use at all.&nbsp; You see that
+box, the smaller one.&nbsp; I have four hundred pounds&rsquo;
+worth of jewellery in that, and therefore I am obliged to look
+after it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; said I, rather startled at this amount
+of confidence on rather a short acquaintance.&nbsp; &ldquo;In
+that case I do not wonder at your being careful.&nbsp; But is it
+not rather rash, perhaps&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know what you are going to say.&nbsp; Well, perhaps
+it is rash.&nbsp; But when you are going to foreign courts, what
+are you to do?&nbsp; If you have got those sort of things you
+must wear them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As I was not myself possessed of anything of that sort, and
+had no intention of going to any foreign court, I could not argue
+the matter with her.&nbsp; But I assisted her in getting together
+an enormous pile of luggage, among which there were seven large
+boxes covered with canvas, such as ladies not uncommonly carry
+with them when travelling.&nbsp; That one which she represented
+as being smaller than the others, and as holding jewellery, might
+be about a yard long by a foot and a half deep.&nbsp; Being
+ignorant in those matters, I should have thought it sufficient to
+carry all a lady&rsquo;s wardrobe for twelve months.&nbsp; When
+the boxes were collected together, she sat down upon the
+jewel-case and looked up into my face.&nbsp; She was a pretty
+woman, perhaps thirty years of age, with long light yellow hair,
+which she allowed to escape from her bonnet, knowing, perhaps,
+that it was not unbecoming to her when thus dishevelled.&nbsp;
+Her skin was very delicate, and her complexion good.&nbsp; Indeed
+her face would have been altogether prepossessing had there not
+been a want of gentleness in her eyes.&nbsp; Her hands, too, were
+soft and small, and on the whole she may be said to have been
+possessed of a strong battery of feminine attractions.&nbsp; She
+also well knew how to use them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Whisper,&rdquo; she said to me, with a peculiar but
+very proper aspiration on the h&mdash;&ldquo;Wh-hisper,&rdquo;
+and both by the aspiration and the use of the word I knew at once
+from what island she had come.&nbsp; &ldquo;Mr. Greene keeps all
+his money in this box also; so I never let it go out of my sight
+for a moment.&nbsp; But whatever you do, don&rsquo;t tell him
+that I told you so.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I laid my hand on my heart, and made a solemn asseveration
+that I would not divulge her secret.&nbsp; I need not, however,
+have troubled myself much on that head, for as I walked up
+stairs, keeping my eye upon the precious trunk, Mr. Greene
+addressed me.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are an Englishman, Mr. Robinson,&rdquo; said
+he.&nbsp; I acknowledged that I was.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am another.&nbsp; My wife, however, is Irish.&nbsp;
+My daughter,&mdash;by a former marriage,&mdash;is English
+also.&nbsp; You see that box there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said I, &ldquo;I see it.&rdquo;&nbsp; I
+began to be so fascinated by the box that I could not keep my
+eyes off it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know whether or no it is prudent, but I
+keep all my money there; my money for travelling, I
+mean.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If I were you, then,&rdquo; I answered, &ldquo;I would
+not say anything about it to any one.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, of course not,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I should
+not think of mentioning it.&nbsp; But those brigands in Italy
+always take away what you have about your person, but they
+don&rsquo;t meddle with the heavy luggage.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Bills of exchange, or circular notes,&rdquo; I
+suggested.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, yes; and if you can&rsquo;t identify yourself, or
+happen to have a headache, you can&rsquo;t get them
+changed.&nbsp; I asked an old friend of mine, who has been
+connected with the Bank of England for the last fifty years, and
+he assured me that there was nothing like sovereigns.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But you never get the value for them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, not quite.&nbsp; One loses a franc, or a franc
+and a half.&nbsp; But still, there&rsquo;s the certainty, and
+that&rsquo;s the great matter.&nbsp; An English sovereign will go
+anywhere,&rdquo; and he spoke these words with considerable
+triumph.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Undoubtedly, if you consent to lose a shilling on each
+sovereign.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At any rate, I have got three hundred and fifty in that
+box,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have them done up in rolls of
+twenty-five pounds each.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I again recommended him to keep this arrangement of his as
+private as possible,&mdash;a piece of counsel which I confess
+seemed to me to be much needed,&mdash;and then I went away to my
+own room, having first accepted an invitation from Mrs. Greene to
+join their party at dinner.&nbsp; &ldquo;Do,&rdquo; said she;
+&ldquo;we have been so dull, and it will be so
+pleasant.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I did not require to be much pressed to join myself to a party
+in which there was so pretty a girl as Miss Greene, and so
+attractive a woman as Mrs. Greene.&nbsp; I therefore accepted the
+invitation readily, and went away to make my toilet.&nbsp; As I
+did so I passed the door of Mr. Greene&rsquo;s room, and saw the
+long file of boxes being borne into the centre of it.</p>
+<p>I spent a pleasant evening, with, however, one or two slight
+drawbacks.&nbsp; As to old Greene himself, he was all that was
+amiable; but then he was nervous, full of cares, and somewhat apt
+to be a bore.&nbsp; He wanted information on a thousand points,
+and did not seem to understand that a young man might prefer the
+conversation of his daughter to his own.&nbsp; Not that he showed
+any solicitude to prevent conversation on the part of his
+daughter.&nbsp; I should have been perfectly at liberty to talk
+to either of the ladies had he not wished to engross all my
+attention to himself.&nbsp; He also had found it dull to be alone
+with his wife and daughter for the last six weeks.</p>
+<p>He was a small spare man, probably over fifty years of age,
+who gave me to understand that he had lived in London all his
+life, and had made his own fortune in the city.&nbsp; What he had
+done in the city to make his fortune he did not say.&nbsp; Had I
+come across him there I should no doubt have found him to be a
+sharp man of business, quite competent to teach me many a useful
+lesson of which I was as ignorant as an infant.&nbsp; Had he
+caught me on the Exchange, or at Lloyd&rsquo;s, or in the big
+room of the Bank of England, I should have been compelled to ask
+him everything.&nbsp; Now, in this little town under the Alps, he
+was as much lost as I should have been in Lombard Street, and was
+ready enough to look to me for information.&nbsp; I was by no
+means chary in giving him my counsel, and imparting to him my
+ideas on things in general in that part of the world;&mdash;only
+I should have preferred to be allowed to make myself civil to his
+daughter.</p>
+<p>In the course of conversation it was mentioned by him that
+they intended to stay a few days at Bellaggio, which, as all the
+world knows, is a central spot on the lake of Como, and a
+favourite resting-place for travellers.&nbsp; There are three
+lakes which all meet here, and to all of which we give the name
+of Como.&nbsp; They are properly called the lakes of Como,
+Colico, and Lecco; and Bellaggio is the spot at which their
+waters join each other.&nbsp; I had half made up my mind to sleep
+there one night on my road into Italy, and now, on hearing their
+purpose, I declared that such was my intention.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How very pleasant,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;It will be quite delightful to have some one to show us
+how to settle ourselves, for really&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear, I&rsquo;m sure you can&rsquo;t say that you
+ever have much trouble.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And who does then, Mr. Greene?&nbsp; I am sure
+Sophonisba does not do much to help me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You won&rsquo;t let me,&rdquo; said Sophonisba, whose
+name I had not before heard.&nbsp; Her papa had called her Sophy
+in the yard of the inn.&nbsp; Sophonisba Greene!&nbsp; Sophonisba
+Robinson did not sound so badly in my ears, and I confess that I
+had tried the names together.&nbsp; Her papa had mentioned to me
+that he had no other child, and had mentioned also that he had
+made his fortune.</p>
+<p>And then there was a little family contest as to the amount of
+travelling labour which fell to the lot of each of the party,
+during which I retired to one of the windows of the big front
+room in which we were sitting.&nbsp; And how much of this labour
+there is incidental to a tourist&rsquo;s pursuits!&nbsp; And how
+often these little contests do arise upon a journey!&nbsp; Who
+has ever travelled and not known them?&nbsp; I had taken up such
+a position at the window as might, I thought, have removed me out
+of hearing; but nevertheless from time to time a word would catch
+my ear about that precious box.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have never taken
+<i>my</i> eyes off it since I left England,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene, speaking quick, and with a considerable brogue
+superinduced by her energy.&nbsp; &ldquo;Where would it have been
+at Basle if I had not been looking after it?&rdquo;&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Quite safe,&rdquo; said Sophonisba; &ldquo;those large
+things always are safe.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Are they, Miss?&nbsp;
+That&rsquo;s all you know about it.&nbsp; I suppose your
+bonnet-box was quite safe when I found it on the platform
+at&mdash;at&mdash;I forget the name of the place?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Freidrichshafen,&rdquo; said Sophonisba, with almost an
+unnecessary amount of Teutonic skill in her pronunciation.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Well, mamma, you have told me of that at least twenty
+times.&rdquo;&nbsp; Soon after that, the ladies took them to
+their own rooms, weary with the travelling of two days and a
+night, and Mr. Greene went fast asleep in the very comfortless
+chair in which he was seated.</p>
+<p>At four o&rsquo;clock on the next morning we started on our
+journey.</p>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;Early to bed, and early to rise,<br />
+Is the way to be healthy, and wealthy, and wise.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>We all know that lesson, and many of us believe in it; but if
+the lesson be true, the Italians ought to be the healthiest and
+wealthiest and wisest of all men and women.&nbsp; Three or four
+o&rsquo;clock seems to them quite a natural hour for commencing
+the day&rsquo;s work.&nbsp; Why we should have started from
+Chiavenna at four o&rsquo;clock in order that we might be kept
+waiting for the boat an hour and a half on the little quay at
+Colico, I don&rsquo;t know; but such was our destiny.&nbsp; There
+we remained an hour and a half; Mrs. Greene sitting
+pertinaciously on the one important box.&nbsp; She had designated
+it as being smaller than the others, and, as all the seven were
+now ranged in a row, I had an opportunity of comparing
+them.&nbsp; It was something smaller,&mdash;perhaps an inch less
+high, and an inch and a half shorter.&nbsp; She was a sharp
+woman, and observed my scrutiny.&nbsp; &ldquo;I always know
+it,&rdquo; she said in a loud whisper, &ldquo;by this little hole
+in the canvas,&rdquo; and she put her finger on a slight rent on
+one of the ends.&nbsp; &ldquo;As for Greene, if one of those
+Italian brigands were to walk off with it on his shoulders,
+before his eyes, he wouldn&rsquo;t be the wiser.&nbsp; How
+helpless you men are, Mr. Robinson!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is well for us that we have women to look after
+us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But you have got no one to look after you;&mdash;or
+perhaps you have left her behind?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, indeed.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m all alone in the world as
+yet.&nbsp; But it&rsquo;s not my own fault.&nbsp; I have asked
+half a dozen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Mr. Robinson!&rdquo;&nbsp; And in this way the
+time passed on the quay at Colico, till the boat came and took us
+away.&nbsp; I should have preferred to pass my time in making
+myself agreeable to the younger lady; but the younger lady stood
+aloof, turning up her nose, as I thought, at her mamma.</p>
+<p>I will not attempt to describe the scenery about Colico.&nbsp;
+The little town itself is one of the vilest places under the sun,
+having no accommodation for travellers, and being excessively
+unhealthy; but there is very little either north or south of the
+Alps,&mdash;and, perhaps, I may add, very little
+elsewhere,&mdash;to beat the beauty of the mountains which
+cluster round the head of the lake.&nbsp; When we had sat upon
+those boxes that hour and a half, we were taken on board the
+steamer, which had been lying off a little way from the shore,
+and then we commenced our journey.&nbsp; Of course there was a
+good deal of exertion and care necessary in getting the packages
+off from the shore on to the boat, and I observed that any one
+with half an eye in his head might have seen that the mental
+anxiety expended on that one box which was marked by the small
+hole in the canvas far exceeded that which was extended to all
+the other six boxes.&nbsp; &ldquo;They deserve that it should be
+stolen,&rdquo; I said to myself, &ldquo;for being such
+fools.&rdquo;&nbsp; And then we went down to breakfast in the
+cabin.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose it must be safe,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene to
+me, ignoring the fact that the cabin waiter understood English,
+although she had just ordered some veal cutlets in that
+language.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As safe as a church,&rdquo; I replied, not wishing to
+give much apparent importance to the subject.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They can&rsquo;t carry it off here,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Greene.&nbsp; But he was innocent of any attempt at a joke, and
+was looking at me with all his eyes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They might throw it overboard,&rdquo; said
+Sophonisba.&nbsp; I at once made up my mind that she could not be
+a good-natured girl.&nbsp; The moment that breakfast was over,
+Mrs. Greene returned again up-stairs, and I found her seated on
+one of the benches near the funnel, from which she could keep her
+eyes fixed upon the box.&nbsp; &ldquo;When one is obliged to
+carry about one&rsquo;s jewels with one, one must be careful, Mr.
+Robinson,&rdquo; she said to me apologetically.&nbsp; But I was
+becoming tired of the box, and the funnel was hot and unpleasant,
+therefore I left her.</p>
+<p>I had made up my mind that Sophonisba was ill-natured; but,
+nevertheless, she was pretty, and I now went through some little
+man&oelig;uvres with the object of getting into conversation with
+her.&nbsp; This I soon did, and was surprised by her
+frankness.&nbsp; &ldquo;How tired you must be of mamma and her
+box,&rdquo; she said to me.&nbsp; To this I made some answer,
+declaring that I was rather interested than otherwise in the
+safety of the precious trunk.&nbsp; &ldquo;It makes me
+sick,&rdquo; said Sophonisba, &ldquo;to hear her go on in that
+way to a perfect stranger.&nbsp; I heard what she said about her
+jewellery.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is natural she should be anxious,&rdquo; I said,
+&ldquo;seeing that it contains so much that is
+valuable.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why did she bring them?&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;She managed to live very well without jewels till papa
+married her, about a year since; and now she can&rsquo;t travel
+about for a month without lugging them with her everywhere.&nbsp;
+I should be so glad if some one would steal them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But all Mr. Greene&rsquo;s money is there
+also.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want papa to be bothered, but I declare I
+wish the box might be lost for a day or so.&nbsp; She is such a
+fool; don&rsquo;t you think so, Mr. Robinson?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At this time it was just fourteen hours since I first had made
+their acquaintance in the yard of Conradi&rsquo;s hotel, and of
+those fourteen hours more than half had been passed in bed.&nbsp;
+I must confess that I looked upon Sophonisba as being almost more
+indiscreet than her mother-in-law.&nbsp; Nevertheless, she was
+not stupid, and I continued my conversation with her the greatest
+part of the way down the lake towards Bellaggio.</p>
+<p>These steamers which run up and down the lake of Como and the
+Lago Maggiore, put out their passengers at the towns on the banks
+of the water by means of small rowing-boats, and the persons who
+are about to disembark generally have their own articles ready to
+their hands when their turn comes for leaving the steamer.&nbsp;
+As we came near to Bellaggio, I looked up my own portmanteau,
+and, pointing to the beautiful wood-covered hill that stands at
+the fork of the waters, told my friend Greene that he was near
+his destination.&nbsp; &ldquo;I am very glad to hear it,&rdquo;
+said he, complacently, but he did not at the moment busy himself
+about the boxes.&nbsp; Then the small boat ran up alongside the
+steamer, and the passengers for Como and Milan crowded up the
+side.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have to go in that boat,&rdquo; I said to
+Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo; he exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, but we have.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What! put our boxes into that boat,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene.&nbsp; &ldquo;Oh dear!&nbsp; Here, boatman! there are
+seven of these boxes, all in white like this,&rdquo; and she
+pointed to the one that had the hole in the canvas.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Make haste.&nbsp; And there are two bags, and my dressing
+case, and Mr. Greene&rsquo;s portmanteau.&nbsp; Mr. Greene, where
+is your portmanteau?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boatman whom she addressed, no doubt did not understand a
+word of English, but nevertheless he knew what she meant, and,
+being well accustomed to the work, got all the luggage together
+in an incredibly small number of moments.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If you will get down into the boat,&rdquo; I said,
+&ldquo;I will see that the luggage follows you before I leave the
+deck.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t stir,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;till I see
+that box lifted down.&nbsp; Take care; you&rsquo;ll let it fall
+into the lake.&nbsp; I know you will.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wish they would,&rdquo; Sophonisba whispered into my
+ear.</p>
+<p>Mr. Greene said nothing, but I could see that his eyes were as
+anxiously fixed on what was going on as were those of his
+wife.&nbsp; At last, however, the three Greens were in the boat,
+as also were all the packages.&nbsp; Then I followed them, my
+portmanteau having gone down before me, and we pushed off for
+Bellaggio.&nbsp; Up to this period most of the attendants around
+us had understood a word or two of English, but now it would be
+well if we could find some one to whose ears French would not be
+unfamiliar.&nbsp; As regarded Mr. Greene and his wife, they, I
+found, must give up all conversation, as they knew nothing of any
+language but their own.&nbsp; Sophonisba could make herself
+understood in French, and was quite at home, as she assured me,
+in German.&nbsp; And then the boat was beached on the shore at
+Bellaggio, and we all had to go again to work with the object of
+getting ourselves lodged at the hotel which overlooks the
+water.</p>
+<p>I had learned before that the Greenes were quite free from any
+trouble in this respect, for their rooms had been taken for them
+before they left England.&nbsp; Trusting to this, Mrs. Greene
+gave herself no inconsiderable airs the moment her foot was on
+the shore, and ordered the people about as though she were the
+Lady Paramount of Bellaggio.&nbsp; Italians, however, are used to
+this from travellers of a certain description.&nbsp; They never
+resent such conduct, but simply put it down in the bill with the
+other articles.&nbsp; Mrs. Greene&rsquo;s words on this occasion
+were innocent enough, seeing that they were English; but had I
+been that head waiter who came down to the beach with his nice
+black shiny hair, and his napkin under his arm, I should have
+thought her manner very insolent.</p>
+<p>Indeed, as it was, I did think so, and was inclined to be
+angry with her.&nbsp; She was to remain for some time at
+Bellaggio, and therefore it behoved her, as she thought, to
+assume the character of the grand lady at once.&nbsp; Hitherto
+she had been willing enough to do the work, but now she began to
+order about Mr. Greene and Sophonisba; and, as it appeared to me,
+to order me about also.&nbsp; I did not quite enjoy this; so
+leaving her still among her luggage and satellites, I walked up
+to the hotel to see about my own bed-room.&nbsp; I had some
+seltzer water, stood at the window for three or four minutes, and
+then walked up and down the room.&nbsp; But still the Greenes
+were not there.&nbsp; As I had put in at Bellaggio solely with
+the object of seeing something more of Sophonisba, it would not
+do for me to quarrel with them, or to allow them so to settle
+themselves in their private sitting-room, that I should be
+excluded.&nbsp; Therefore I returned again to the road by which
+they must come up, and met the procession near the house.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Greene was leading it with great majesty, the waiter with
+the shiny hair walking by her side to point out to her the
+way.&nbsp; Then came all the luggage,&mdash;each porter carrying
+a white canvas-covered box.&nbsp; That which was so valuable no
+doubt was carried next to Mrs. Greene, so that she might at a
+moment&rsquo;s notice put her eye upon the well-known valuable
+rent.&nbsp; I confess that I did not observe the hole as the
+train passed by me, nor did I count the number of the
+boxes.&nbsp; Seven boxes, all alike, are very many; and then they
+were followed by three other men with the inferior
+articles,&mdash;Mr. Greene&rsquo;s portmanteau, the carpetbag,
+&amp;e., &amp;c.&nbsp; At the tail of the line, I found Mr.
+Greene, and behind him Sophonisba.&nbsp; &ldquo;All your fatigues
+will be over now,&rdquo; I said to the gentleman, thinking it
+well not to be too particular in my attentions to his
+daughter.&nbsp; He was panting beneath a terrible great-coat,
+having forgotten that the shores of an Italian lake are not so
+cold as the summits of the Alps, and did not answer me.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure I hope so,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;And I shall advise papa not to go any farther unless he
+can persuade Mrs. Greene to send her jewels home.&rdquo;&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Sophy, my dear,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;for Heaven&rsquo;s
+sake let us have a little peace since we are here.&rdquo;&nbsp;
+From all which I gathered that Mr. Green had not been fortunate
+in his second matrimonial adventure.&nbsp; We then made our way
+slowly up to the hotel, having been altogether distanced by the
+porters, and when we reached the house we found that the
+different packages were already being carried away through the
+house, some this way and some that.&nbsp; Mrs. Green, the
+meanwhile, was talking loudly at the door of her own
+sitting-room.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Greene,&rdquo; she said, as soon as she saw her
+heavily oppressed spouse,&mdash;for the noonday sun was
+up,&mdash;&ldquo;Mr. Greene, where are you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here, my dear,&rdquo; and Mr. Greene threw himself
+panting into the corner of a sofa.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A little seltzer water and brandy,&rdquo; I
+suggested.&nbsp; Mr. Greene&rsquo;s inmost heart leaped at the
+hint, and nothing that his remonstrant wife could say would
+induce him to move, until he had enjoyed the delicious
+draught.&nbsp; In the mean time the box with the hole in the
+canvas had been lost.</p>
+<p>Yes; when we came to look into matters, to count the packages,
+and to find out where we were, the box with the hole in the
+canvas was not there.&nbsp; Or, at any rate, Mrs. Greene said it
+was not there.&nbsp; I worked hard to look it up, and even went
+into Sophonisba&rsquo;s bed-room in my search.&nbsp; In
+Sophonisba&rsquo;s bed-room there was but one canvas-covered
+box.&nbsp; &ldquo;That is my own,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and it
+is all that I have, except this bag.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where on earth can it be?&rdquo; said I, sitting down
+on the trunk in question.&nbsp; At the moment I almost thought
+that she had been instrumental in hiding it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How am I to know?&rdquo; she answered; and I fancied
+that even she was dismayed.&nbsp; &ldquo;What a fool that woman
+is!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The box must be in the house,&rdquo; I said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do find it, for papa&rsquo;s sake; there&rsquo;s a good
+fellow.&nbsp; He will be so wretched without his money.&nbsp; I
+heard him say that he had only two pounds in his
+purse.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I can let him have money to go on with,&rdquo; I
+answered grandly.&nbsp; And then I went off to prove that I was a
+good fellow, and searched throughout the house.&nbsp; Two white
+boxes had by order been left downstairs, as they would not be
+needed; and these two were in a large cupboard of the hall, which
+was used expressly for stowing away luggage.&nbsp; And then there
+were three in Mrs. Greene&rsquo;s bed-room, which had been taken
+there as containing the wardrobe which she would require while
+remaining at Bellaggio.&nbsp; I searched every one of these
+myself to see if I could find the hole in the canvas.&nbsp; But
+the hole in the canvas was not there.&nbsp; And let me count as I
+would, I could make out only six.&nbsp; Now there certainly had
+been seven on board the steamer, though I could not swear that I
+had seen the seven put into the small boat.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Greene,&rdquo; said the lady standing in the middle
+of her remaining treasures, all of which were now open,
+&ldquo;you are worth nothing when travelling.&nbsp; Were you not
+behind?&rdquo;&nbsp; But Mr. Greene&rsquo;s mind was full, and he
+did not answer.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It has been stolen before your very eyes,&rdquo; she
+continued.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense, mamma,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;If ever it came out of the steamer it certainly came into
+the house.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I saw it out of the steamer,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene,
+&ldquo;and it certainly is not in the house.&nbsp; Mr. Robinson,
+may I trouble you to send for the police?&mdash;at once, if you
+please, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I had been at Bellaggio twice before, but nevertheless I was
+ignorant of their system of police.&nbsp; And then, again, I did
+not know what was the Italian for the word.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I will speak to the landlord,&rdquo; I said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If you will have the goodness to send for the police at
+once, I will be obliged to you.&rdquo;&nbsp; And as she thus
+reiterated her command, she stamped with her foot upon the
+floor.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are no police at Bellaggio,&rdquo; said
+Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What on earth shall I do for money to go on
+with?&rdquo; said Mr. Greene, looking piteously up to the
+ceiling, and shaking both his hands.</p>
+<p>And now the whole house was in an uproar, including not only
+the landlord, his wife and daughters, and all the servants, but
+also every other visitor at the hotel.&nbsp; Mrs. Greene was not
+a lady who hid either her glories or her griefs under a bushel,
+and, though she spoke only in English, she soon made her
+protestations sufficiently audible.&nbsp; She protested loudly
+that she had been robbed, and that she had been robbed since she
+left the steamer.&nbsp; The box had come on shore; of that she
+was quite certain.&nbsp; If the landlord had any regard either
+for his own character or for that of his house, he would
+ascertain before an hour was over where it was, and who had been
+the thief.&nbsp; She would give him an hour.&nbsp; And then she
+sat herself down; but in two minutes she was up again,
+vociferating her wrongs as loudly as ever.&nbsp; All this was
+filtered through me and Sophonisba to the waiter in French, and
+from the waiter to the landlord; but the lady&rsquo;s gestures
+required no translation to make them intelligible, and the state
+of her mind on the matter was, I believe, perfectly well
+understood.</p>
+<p>Mr. Greene I really did pity.&nbsp; His feelings of dismay
+seemed to be quite as deep, but his sorrow and solicitude were
+repressed into more decorum.&nbsp; &ldquo;What am I to do for
+money?&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have not a shilling to go
+on with!&rdquo;&nbsp; And he still looked up at the ceiling.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must send to England,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It will take a month,&rdquo; he replied.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Robinson will let you have what you want at
+present,&rdquo; added Sophonisba.&nbsp; Now I certainly had said
+so, and had meant it at the time.&nbsp; But my whole travelling
+store did not exceed forty or fifty pounds, with which I was
+going on to Venice, and then back to England through the
+Tyrol.&nbsp; Waiting a month for Mr. Greene&rsquo;s money from
+England might be even more inconvenient to me than to him.&nbsp;
+Then it occurred to me that the wants of the Greene family would
+be numerous and expensive, and that my small stock would go but a
+little way among so many.&nbsp; And what also if there had been
+no money and no jewels in that accursed box!&nbsp; I confess that
+at the moment such an idea did strike my mind.&nbsp; One hears of
+sharpers on every side committing depredations by means of most
+singular intrigues and contrivances.&nbsp; Might it not be
+possible that the whole batch of Greenes belonged to this order
+of society.&nbsp; It was a base idea, I own; but I confess that I
+entertained it for a moment.</p>
+<p>I retired to my own room for a while that I might think over
+all the circumstances.&nbsp; There certainly had been seven
+boxes, and one had had a hole in the canvas.&nbsp; All the seven
+had certainly been on board the steamer.&nbsp; To so much I felt
+that I might safely swear.&nbsp; I had not counted the seven into
+the small boat, but on leaving the larger vessel I had looked
+about the deck to see that none of the Greene trappings were
+forgotten.&nbsp; If left on the steamer, it had been so left
+through an intent on the part of some one there employed.&nbsp;
+It was quite possible that the contents of the box had been
+ascertained through the imprudence of Mrs. Greene, and that it
+had been conveyed away so that it might be rifled at Como.&nbsp;
+As to Mrs. Greene&rsquo;s assertion that all the boxes had been
+put into the small boat, I thought nothing of it.&nbsp; The
+people at Bellaggio could not have known which box to steal, nor
+had there been time to concoct the plan in carrying the boxes up
+to the hotel.&nbsp; I came at last to this conclusion, that the
+missing trunk had either been purloined and carried on to
+Como,&mdash;in which case it would be necessary to lose no time
+in going after it; or that it had been put out of sight in some
+uncommonly clever way, by the Greenes themselves, as an excuse
+for borrowing as much money as they could raise and living
+without payment of their bills.&nbsp; With reference to the
+latter hypothesis, I declared to myself that Greene did not look
+like a swindler; but as to Mrs. Greene&mdash;!&nbsp; I confess
+that I did not feel so confident in regard to her.</p>
+<p>Charity begins at home, so I proceeded to make myself
+comfortable in my room, feeling almost certain that I should not
+be able to leave Bellaggio on the following morning.&nbsp; I had
+opened my portmanteau when I first arrived, leaving it open on
+the floor as is my wont.&nbsp; Some people are always being
+robbed, and are always locking up everything; while others wander
+safe over the world and never lock up anything.&nbsp; For myself,
+I never turn a key anywhere, and no one ever purloins from me
+even a handkerchief.&nbsp; Cantabit vacuus&mdash;, and I am
+always sufficiently vacuus.&nbsp; Perhaps it is that I have not a
+handkerchief worth the stealing.&nbsp; It is your heavy-laden,
+suspicious, mal-adroit Greenes that the thieves attack.&nbsp; I
+now found out that the accommodating Boots, who already knew my
+ways, had taken my travelling gear into a dark recess which was
+intended to do for a dressing-room, and had there spread my
+portmanteau open upon some table or stool in the corner.&nbsp; It
+was a convenient arrangement, and there I left it during the
+whole period of my sojourn.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Greene had given the landlord an hour to find the box,
+and during that time the landlord, the landlady, their three
+daughters, and all the servants in the house certainly did exert
+themselves to the utmost.&nbsp; Half a dozen times they came to
+my door, but I was luxuriating in a washing-tub, making up for
+that four-o&rsquo;clock start from Chiavenna.&nbsp; I assured
+them, however, that the box was not there, and so the search
+passed by.&nbsp; At the end of the hour I went back to the
+Greenes according to promise, having resolved that some one must
+be sent on to Como to look after the missing article.</p>
+<p>There was no necessity to knock at their sitting-room door,
+for it was wide open.&nbsp; I walked in, and found Mrs. Greene
+still engaged in attacking the landlord, while all the porters
+who had carried the luggage up to the house were standing
+round.&nbsp; Her voice was loud above the others, but, luckily
+for them all, she was speaking English.&nbsp; The landlord, I
+saw, was becoming sulky.&nbsp; He spoke in Italian, and we none
+of us understood him, but I gathered that he was declining to do
+anything further.&nbsp; The box, he was certain, had never come
+out of the steamer.&nbsp; The Boots stood by interpreting into
+French, and, acting as second interpreter, I put it into
+English.</p>
+<p>Mr. Greene, who was seated on the sofa, groaned audibly, but
+said nothing.&nbsp; Sophonisba, who was sitting by him, beat upon
+the floor with both her feet.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you hear, Mr. Greene?&rdquo; said she, turning to
+him.&nbsp; &ldquo;Do you mean to allow that vast amount of
+property to be lost without an effort?&nbsp; Are you prepared to
+replace my jewels?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Her jewels!&rdquo; said Sophonisba, looking up into my
+face.&nbsp; &ldquo;Papa had to pay the bill for every stitch she
+had when he married her.&rdquo;&nbsp; These last words were so
+spoken as to be audible only by me, but her first exclamation was
+loud enough.&nbsp; Were they people for whom it would be worth my
+while to delay my journey, and put myself to serious
+inconvenience with reference to money?</p>
+<p>A few minutes afterwards I found myself with Greene on the
+terrace before the house.&nbsp; &ldquo;What ought I to do?&rdquo;
+said he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Go to Como,&rdquo; said I, &ldquo;and look after your
+box.&nbsp; I will remain here and go on board the return
+steamer.&nbsp; It may perhaps be there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t speak a word of Italian,&rdquo; said
+he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Take the Boots,&rdquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t speak a word of French.&rdquo;&nbsp;
+And then it ended in my undertaking to go to Como.&nbsp; I swear
+that the thought struck me that I might as well take my
+portmanteau with me, and cut and run when I got there.&nbsp; The
+Greenes were nothing to me.</p>
+<p>I did not, however, do this.&nbsp; I made the poor man a
+promise, and I kept it.&nbsp; I took merely a dressing-bag, for I
+knew that I must sleep at Como; and, thus resolving to disarrange
+all my plans, I started.&nbsp; I was in the midst of beautiful
+scenery, but I found it quite impossible to draw any enjoyment
+from it;&mdash;from that or from anything around me.&nbsp; My
+whole mind was given up to anathemas against this odious box, as
+to which I had undoubtedly heavy cause of complaint.&nbsp; What
+was the box to me?&nbsp; I went to Como by the afternoon steamer,
+and spent a long dreary evening down on the steamboat quays
+searching everywhere, and searching in vain.&nbsp; The boat by
+which we had left Colico had gone back to Colico, but the people
+swore that nothing had been left on board it.&nbsp; It was just
+possible that such a box might have gone on to Milan with the
+luggage of other passengers.</p>
+<p>I slept at Como, and on the following morning I went on to
+Milan.&nbsp; There was no trace of the box to be found in that
+city.&nbsp; I went round to every hotel and travelling office,
+but could hear nothing of it.&nbsp; Parties had gone to Venice,
+and Florence, and Bologna, and any of them might have taken the
+box.&nbsp; No one, however, remembered it; and I returned back to
+Como, and thence to Bellaggio, reaching the latter place at nine
+in the evening, disappointed, weary, and cross.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Has Monsieur found the accursed trunk?&rdquo; said the
+Bellaggio Boots, meeting me on the quay.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In the name of the&mdash;, no.&nbsp; Has it not turned
+up here?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the Boots, &ldquo;we shall all be
+mad soon.&nbsp; The poor master, he is mad already.&rdquo;&nbsp;
+And then I went up to the house.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My jewels!&rdquo; shouted Mrs. Greene, rushing to me
+with her arms stretched out as soon as she heard my step in the
+corridor.&nbsp; I am sure that she would have embraced me had I
+found the box.&nbsp; I had not, however, earned any such
+reward.&nbsp; &ldquo;I can hear nothing of the box either at Como
+or Milan,&rdquo; I said.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then what on earth am I to do for my money?&rdquo; said
+Mr. Greene.</p>
+<p>I had had neither dinner nor supper, but the elder Greenes did
+not care for that.&nbsp; Mr. Greene sat silent in despair, and
+Mrs. Greene stormed about the room in her anger.&nbsp; &ldquo;I
+am afraid you are very tired,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am tired, and hungry, and thirsty,&rdquo; said
+I.&nbsp; I was beginning to get angry, and to think myself ill
+used.&nbsp; And that idea as to a family of swindlers became
+strong again.&nbsp; Greene had borrowed ten napoleons from me
+before I started for Como, and I had spent above four in my
+fruitless journey to that place and Milan.&nbsp; I was beginning
+to fear that my whole purpose as to Venice and the Tyrol would be
+destroyed; and I had promised to meet friends at Innspruck,
+who,&mdash;who were very much preferable to the Greenes.&nbsp; As
+events turned out, I did meet them.&nbsp; Had I failed in this,
+the present Mrs. Robinson would not have been sitting opposite to
+me.</p>
+<p>I went to my room and dressed myself, and then Sophonisba
+presided over the tea-table for me.&nbsp; &ldquo;What are we to
+do?&rdquo; she asked me in a confidential whisper.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Wait for money from England.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But they will think we are all sharpers,&rdquo; she
+said; &ldquo;and upon my word I do not wonder at it from the way
+in which that woman goes on.&rdquo;&nbsp; She then leaned
+forward, resting her elbow on the table and her face on her hand,
+and told me a long history of all their family discomforts.&nbsp;
+Her papa was a very good sort of man, only he had been made a
+fool of by that intriguing woman, who had been left without a
+sixpence with which to bless herself.&nbsp; And now they had
+nothing but quarrels and misery.&nbsp; Papa did not always got
+the worst of it;&mdash;papa could rouse himself sometimes; only
+now he was beaten down and cowed by the loss of his money.&nbsp;
+This whispering confidence was very nice in its way, seeing that
+Sophonisba was a pretty girl; but the whole matter seemed to be
+full of suspicion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If they did not want to take you in in one way, they
+did in another,&rdquo; said the present Mrs. Robinson, when I
+told the story to her at Innspruck.&nbsp; I beg that it may be
+understood that at the time of my meeting the Greenes I was not
+engaged to the present Mrs. Robinson, and was open to make any
+matrimonial engagement that might have been pleasing to me.</p>
+<p>On the next morning, after breakfast, we held a council of
+war.&nbsp; I had been informed that Mr. Greene had made a
+fortune, and was justified in presuming him to be a rich
+man.&nbsp; It seemed to me, therefore, that his course was
+easy.&nbsp; Let him wait at Bellaggio for more money, and when he
+returned home, let him buy Mrs. Greene more jewels.&nbsp; A poor
+man always presumes that a rich man is indifferent about his
+money.&nbsp; But in truth a rich man never is indifferent about
+his money, and poor Greene looked very blank at my
+proposition.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you mean to say that it&rsquo;s gone for
+ever?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll not leave the country without knowing more
+about it,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It certainly is very odd,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp;
+Even Sophonisba seemed to think that I was too off-hand.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It will be a month before I can get money, and my bill
+here will be something tremendous,&rdquo; said Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t pay them a farthing till I got my
+box,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s nonsense,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp;
+And so it was.&nbsp; &ldquo;Hold your tongue, Miss!&rdquo; said
+the step-mother.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, I shall not hold my tongue,&rdquo; said the
+step-daughter.&nbsp; Poor Greene!&nbsp; He had lost more than his
+box within the last twelve months; for, as I had learned in that
+whispered conversation over the tea-table with Sophonisba; this
+was in reality her papa&rsquo;s marriage trip.</p>
+<p>Another day was now gone, and we all went to bed.&nbsp; Had I
+not been very foolish I should have had myself called at five in
+the morning, and have gone away by the early boat, leaving my ten
+napoleons behind me.&nbsp; But, unfortunately, Sophonisba had
+exacted a promise from me that I would not do this, and thus all
+chance of spending a day or two in Venice was lost to me.&nbsp;
+Moreover, I was thoroughly fatigued, and almost glad of any
+excuse which would allow me to lie in bed on the following
+morning.&nbsp; I did lie in bed till nine o&rsquo;clock, and then
+found the Greenes at breakfast.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let us go and look at the Serbelloni Gardens,&rdquo;
+said I, as soon as the silent meal was over; &ldquo;or take a
+boat over to the Sommariva Villa.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I should like it so much,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We will do nothing of the kind till I have found my
+property,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.&nbsp; &ldquo;Mr. Robinson,
+what arrangement did you make yesterday with the police at
+Como?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The police at Como?&rdquo; I said.&nbsp; &ldquo;I did
+not go to the police.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not go to the police?&nbsp; And do you mean to say that
+I am to be robbed of my jewels and no efforts made for
+redress?&nbsp; Is there no such thing as a constable in this
+wretched country?&nbsp; Mr. Greene, I do insist upon it that you
+at once go to the nearest British consul.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose I had better write home for money,&rdquo;
+said he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And do you mean to say that you haven&rsquo;t written
+yet?&rdquo; said I, probably with some acrimony in my voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You needn&rsquo;t scold papa,&rdquo; said
+Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what I am to do,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Greene, and he began walking up and down the room; but still he
+did not call for pen and ink, and I began again to feel that he
+was a swindler.&nbsp; Was it possible that a man of business, who
+had made his fortune in London, should allow his wife to keep all
+her jewels in a box, and carry about his own money in the
+same?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see why you need be so very unhappy,
+papa,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp; &ldquo;Mr. Robinson,
+I&rsquo;m sure, will let you have whatever money you may want at
+present.&rdquo;&nbsp; This was pleasant!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And will Mr. Robinson return me my jewels which were
+lost, I must say, in a great measure, through his
+carelessness,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.&nbsp; This was
+pleasanter!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Upon my word, Mrs. Greene, I must deny that,&rdquo;
+said I, jumping up.&nbsp; &ldquo;What on earth could I have done
+more than I did do?&nbsp; I have been to Milan and nearly fagged
+myself to death.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you bring a policeman back with
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You would tell everybody on board the boat what there
+was in it,&rdquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I told nobody but you,&rdquo; she answered.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose you mean to imply that I&rsquo;ve taken the
+box,&rdquo; I rejoined.&nbsp; So that on this, the third or
+fourth day of our acquaintance, we did not go on together quite
+pleasantly.</p>
+<p>But what annoyed me, perhaps, the most, was the confidence
+with which it seemed to be Mr. Greene&rsquo;s intention to lean
+upon my resources.&nbsp; He certainly had not written home yet,
+and had taken my ten napoleons, as one friend may take a few
+shillings from another when he finds that he has left his own
+silver on his dressing-table.&nbsp; What could he have wanted of
+ten napoleons?&nbsp; He had alleged the necessity of paying the
+porters, but the few francs he had had in his pocket would have
+been enough for that.&nbsp; And now Sophonisba was ever and again
+prompt in her assurances that he need not annoy himself about
+money, because I was at his right hand.&nbsp; I went upstairs
+into my own room, and counting all my treasures, found that
+thirty-six pounds and some odd silver was the extent of my
+wealth.&nbsp; With that I had to go, at any rate, as far as
+Innspruck, and from thence back to London.&nbsp; It was quite
+impossible that I should make myself responsible for the
+Greenes&rsquo; bill at Bellaggio.</p>
+<p>We dined early, and after dinner, according to a promise made
+in the morning, Sophonisba ascended with me into the Serbelloni
+Gardens, and walked round the terraces on that beautiful hill
+which commands the view of the three lakes.&nbsp; When we started
+I confess that I would sooner have gone alone, for I was sick of
+the Greenes in my very soul.&nbsp; We had had a terrible
+day.&nbsp; The landlord had been sent for so often, that he
+refused to show himself again.&nbsp; The landlady&mdash;though
+Italians of that class are always courteous&mdash;had been so
+driven that she snapped her fingers in Mrs. Greene&rsquo;s
+face.&nbsp; The three girls would not show themselves.&nbsp; The
+waiters kept out of the way as much as possible; and the Boots,
+in confidence, abused them to me behind their back.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the Boots, &ldquo;do you think there
+ever was such a box?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps not,&rdquo; said I; and yet I knew that I had
+seen it.</p>
+<p>I would, therefore, have preferred to walk without Sophonisba;
+but that now was impossible.&nbsp; So I determined that I would
+utilise the occasion by telling her of my present purpose.&nbsp;
+I had resolved to start on the following day, and it was now
+necessary to make my friends understand that it was not in my
+power to extend to them any further pecuniary assistance.</p>
+<p>Sophonisba, when we were on the hill, seemed to have forgotten
+the box, and to be willing that I should forget it also.&nbsp;
+But this was impossible.&nbsp; When, therefore, she told me how
+sweet it was to escape from that terrible woman, and leaned on my
+arm with all the freedom of old acquaintance, I was obliged to
+cut short the pleasure of the moment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope your father has written that letter,&rdquo; said
+I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He means to write it from Milan.&nbsp; We know you want
+to get on, so we purpose to leave here the day after
+to-morrow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said I thinking of the bill immediately, and
+remembering that Mrs. Greene had insisted on having champagne for
+dinner.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And if anything more is to be done about the nasty box,
+it may be done there,&rdquo; continued Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But I must go to-morrow,&rdquo; said I, &ldquo;at 5
+a.m.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp; &ldquo;Go
+to-morrow, when I,&mdash;I mean we,&mdash;are going on the next
+day!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And I might as well explain,&rdquo; said I, gently
+dropping the hand that was on my arm, &ldquo;that I find,&mdash;I
+find it will be impossible for
+me&mdash;to&mdash;to&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To what?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To advance Mr. Greene any more money just at
+present.&rdquo;&nbsp; Then Sophonisba&rsquo;s arm dropped all at
+once, and she exclaimed, &ldquo;Oh, Mr. Robinson!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After all, there was a certain hard good sense about Miss
+Greene which would have protected her from my evil thoughts had I
+known all the truth.&nbsp; I found out afterwards that she was a
+considerable heiress, and, in spite of the opinion expressed by
+the present Mrs. Robinson when Miss Walker, I do not for a moment
+think she would have accepted me had I offered to her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are quite right not to embarrass yourself,&rdquo;
+she said, when I explained to her my immediate circumstances;
+&ldquo;but why did you make papa an offer which you cannot
+perform?&nbsp; He must remain here now till he hears from
+England.&nbsp; Had you explained it all at first, the ten
+napoleons would have carried us to Milan.&rdquo;&nbsp; This was
+all true, and yet I thought it hard upon me.</p>
+<p>It was evident to me now, that Sophonisba was prepared to join
+her step-mother in thinking that I had ill-treated them, and I
+had not much doubt that I should find Mr. Greene to be of the
+same opinion.&nbsp; There was very little more said between us
+during the walk, and when we reached the hotel at seven or
+half-past seven o&rsquo;clock, I merely remarked that I would go
+in and wish her father and mother good-bye.&nbsp; &ldquo;I
+suppose you will drink tea with us,&rdquo; said Sophonisba, and
+to this I assented.</p>
+<p>I went into my own room, and put all my things into my
+portmanteau, for according to the custom, which is invariable in
+Italy when an early start is premeditated, the Boots was
+imperative in his demand that the luggage should be ready over
+night.&nbsp; I then went to the Greene&rsquo;s sitting-room, and
+found that the whole party was now aware of my intentions.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So you are going to desert us,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I must go on upon my journey,&rdquo; I pleaded in a
+weak apologetic voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Go on upon your journey, sir!&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene.&nbsp; &ldquo;I would not for a moment have you put
+yourself to inconvenience on our account.&rdquo;&nbsp; And yet I
+had already lost fourteen napoleons, and given up all prospect of
+going to Venice!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Robinson is certainly right not to break his
+engagement with Miss Walker,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.&nbsp; Now I
+had said not a word about an engagement with Miss Walker, having
+only mentioned incidentally that she would be one of the party at
+Innspruck.&nbsp; &ldquo;But,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;I think
+he should not have misled us.&rdquo;&nbsp; And in this way we
+enjoyed our evening meal.</p>
+<p>I was just about to shake hands with them all, previous to my
+final departure from their presence, when the Boots came into the
+room.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll leave the portmanteau till to-morrow
+morning,&rdquo; said he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;there will be such a
+crowd of things in the hall.&nbsp; The big trunk I will take away
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Big trunk,&mdash;what big trunk?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The trunk with your rug over it, on which your
+portmanteau stood.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I looked round at Mr., Mrs., and Miss Greene, and saw that
+they were all looking at me.&nbsp; I looked round at them, and as
+their eyes met mine I felt that I turned as red as fire.&nbsp; I
+immediately jumped up and rushed away to my own room, hearing as
+I went that all their steps were following me.&nbsp; I rushed to
+the inner recess, pulled down the portmanteau, which still
+remained in its old place, tore away my own carpet rug which
+covered the support beneath it, and there saw&mdash;a white
+canvas-covered box, with a hole in the canvas on the side next to
+me!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is my box,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene, pushing me away,
+as she hurried up and put her finger within the rent.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It certainly does look like it,&rdquo; said Mr. Greene,
+peering over his wife&rsquo;s shoulder.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no doubt about the box,&rdquo; said
+Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not the least in life,&rdquo; said I, trying to assume
+an indifferent look.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; said the Boots.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Corpo di Baccho!&rdquo; exclaimed the landlord, who had
+now joined the party.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh&mdash;h&mdash;h&mdash;h&mdash;!&rdquo; screamed Mrs.
+Greene, and then she threw herself back on to my bed, and
+shrieked hysterically.</p>
+<p>There was no doubt whatsoever about the fact.&nbsp; There was
+the lost box, and there it had been during all those tedious
+hours of unavailing search.&nbsp; While I was suffering all that
+fatigue in Milan, spending my precious zwanzigers in driving
+about from one hotel to another, the box had been safe, standing
+in my own room at Bellaggio, hidden by my own rug.&nbsp; And now
+that it was found everybody looked at me as though it were all my
+fault.</p>
+<p>Mrs. Greene&rsquo;s eyes, when she had done being hysterical,
+were terrible, and Sophonisba looked at me as though I were a
+convicted thief.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who put the box here?&rdquo; I said, turning fiercely
+upon the Boots.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I did,&rdquo; said the Boots, &ldquo;by
+Monsieur&rsquo;s express order.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By my order?&rdquo; I exclaimed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; said the Boots.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Corpo di Baccho!&rdquo; said the landlord, and he also
+looked at me as though I were a thief.&nbsp; In the mean time the
+landlady and the three daughters had clustered round Mrs. Greene,
+administering to her all manner of Italian consolation.&nbsp; The
+box, and the money, and the jewels were after all a reality; and
+much incivility can be forgiven to a lady who has really lost her
+jewels, and has really found them again.</p>
+<p>There and then there arose a hurly-burly among us as to the
+manner in which the odious trunk found its way into my
+room.&nbsp; Had anybody been just enough to consider the matter
+coolly, it must have been quite clear that I could not have
+ordered it there.&nbsp; When I entered the hotel, the boxes were
+already being lugged about, and I had spoken a word to no one
+concerning them.&nbsp; That traitorous Boots had done
+it,&mdash;no doubt without malice prepense; but he had done it;
+and now that the Greenes were once more known as moneyed people,
+he turned upon me, and told me to my face, that I had desired
+that box to be taken to my own room as part of my own
+luggage!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear,&rdquo; said Mr. Greene, turning to his wife,
+&ldquo;you should never mention the contents of your luggage to
+any one.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I never will again,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene, with a
+mock repentant air, &ldquo;but I really thought&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;One never can be sure of sharpers,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;After all, it may have been accidental,&rdquo; said
+Sophonisba, on hearing which good-natured surmise both papa and
+mamma Greene shook their suspicious heads.</p>
+<p>I was resolved to say nothing then.&nbsp; It was all but
+impossible that they should really think that I had intended to
+steal their box; nor, if they did think so, would it have become
+me to vindicate myself before the landlord and all his
+servants.&nbsp; I stood by therefore in silence, while two of the
+men raised the trunk, and joined the procession which followed it
+as it was carried out of my room into that of the legitimate
+owner.&nbsp; Everybody in the house was there by that time, and
+Mrs. Greene, enjoying the triumph, by no means grudged them the
+entrance into her sitting-room.&nbsp; She had felt that she was
+suspected, and now she was determined that the world of Bellaggio
+should know how much she was above suspicion.&nbsp; The box was
+put down upon two chairs, the supporters who had borne it
+retiring a pace each.&nbsp; Mrs. Greene then advanced proudly
+with the selected key, and Mr. Greene stood by at her right
+shoulder, ready to receive his portion of the hidden
+treasure.&nbsp; Sophonisba was now indifferent, and threw herself
+on the sofa, while I walked up and down the room
+thoughtfully,&mdash;meditating what words I should say when I
+took my last farewell of the Greenes.&nbsp; But as I walked I
+could see what occurred.&nbsp; Mrs. Greene opened the box, and
+displayed to view the ample folds of a huge yellow woollen
+dressing-down.&nbsp; I could fancy that she would not willingly
+have exhibited this article of her toilet, had she not felt that
+its existence would speedily be merged in the presence of the
+glories which were to follow.&nbsp; This had merely been the
+padding at the top of the box.&nbsp; Under that lay a long
+papier-mach&eacute; case, and in that were all her
+treasures.&nbsp; &ldquo;Ah, they are safe,&rdquo; she said,
+opening the lid and looking upon her tawdry pearls and
+carbuncles.</p>
+<p>Mr. Greene, in the mean time, well knowing the passage for his
+hand, had dived down to the very bottom of the box, and seized
+hold of a small canvas bag.&nbsp; &ldquo;It is here,&rdquo; said
+he, dragging it up, &ldquo;and as far as I can tell, as yet, the
+knot has not been untied.&rdquo;&nbsp; Whereupon he sat himself
+down by Sophonisba, and employing her to assist him in holding
+them, began to count his rolls.&nbsp; &ldquo;They are all
+right,&rdquo; said he; and he wiped the perspiration from his
+brow.</p>
+<p>I had not yet made up my mind in what manner I might best
+utter my last words among them so as to maintain the dignity of
+my character, and now I was standing over against Mr. Greene with
+my arms folded on my breast.&nbsp; I had on my face a frown of
+displeasure, which I am able to assume upon occasions, but I had
+not yet determined what words I would use.&nbsp; After all,
+perhaps, it might be as well that I should leave them without any
+last words.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Greene, my dear,&rdquo; said the lady, &ldquo;pay the
+gentleman his ten napoleons.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes, certainly;&rdquo; whereupon Mr. Greene undid
+one of the rolls and extracted eight sovereigns.&nbsp; &ldquo;I
+believe that will make it right, sir,&rdquo; said he, handing
+them to me.</p>
+<p>I took the gold, slipped it with an indifferent air into my
+waistcoat pocket, and then refolded my arms across my breast.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Papa,&rdquo; said Sophonisba, in a very audible
+whisper, &ldquo;Mr. Robinson went for you to Como.&nbsp; Indeed,
+I believe he says he went to Milan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do not let that be mentioned,&rdquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By all means pay him his expenses,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene; &ldquo;I would not owe him anything for
+worlds.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;He should be paid,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, certainly,&rdquo; said Mr. Greene.&nbsp; And he at
+once extracted another sovereign, and tendered it to me in the
+face of the assembled multitude.</p>
+<p>This was too much!&nbsp; &ldquo;Mr. Greene,&rdquo; said I,
+&ldquo;I intended to be of service to you when I went to Milan,
+and you are very welcome to the benefit of my intentions.&nbsp;
+The expense of that journey, whatever may be its amount, is my
+own affair.&rdquo;&nbsp; And I remained standing with my closed
+arms.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We will be under no obligation to him,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Greene; &ldquo;and I shall insist on his taking the
+money.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The servant will put it on his dressing-table,&rdquo;
+said Sophonisba.&nbsp; And she handed the sovereign to the Boots,
+giving him instructions.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Keep it yourself, Antonio,&rdquo; I said.&nbsp;
+Whereupon the man chucked it to the ceiling with his thumb,
+caught it as it fell, and with a well-satisfied air, dropped it
+into the recesses of his pocket.&nbsp; The air of the Greenes was
+also well satisfied, for they felt that they had paid me in full
+for all my services.</p>
+<p>And now, with many obsequious bows and assurances of deep
+respect, the landlord and his family withdrew from the
+room.&nbsp; &ldquo;Was there anything else they could do for Mrs.
+Greene?&rdquo;&nbsp; Mrs. Greene was all affability.&nbsp; She
+had shown her jewels to the girls, and allowed them to express
+their admiration in pretty Italian superlatives.&nbsp; There was
+nothing else she wanted to-night.&nbsp; She was very happy and
+liked Bellaggio.&nbsp; She would stay yet a week, and would make
+herself quite happy.&nbsp; And, though none of them understood a
+word that the other said, each understood that things were now
+rose-coloured, and so with scrapings, bows, and grinning smiles,
+the landlord and all his myrmidons withdrew.&nbsp; Mr. Greene was
+still counting his money, sovereign by sovereign, and I was still
+standing with my folded arms upon my bosom.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I believe I may now go,&rdquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Good night,&rdquo; said Mrs. Greene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Adieu,&rdquo; said Sophonisba.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have the pleasure of wishing you good-bye,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Greene.</p>
+<p>And then I walked out of the room.&nbsp; After all, what was
+the use of saying anything?&nbsp; And what could I say that would
+have done me any service?&nbsp; If they were capable of thinking
+me a thief,&mdash;which they certainly did,&mdash;nothing that I
+could say would remove the impression.&nbsp; Nor, as I thought,
+was it suitable that I should defend myself from such an
+imputation.&nbsp; What were the Greenes to me?&nbsp; So I walked
+slowly out of the room, and never again saw one of the family
+from that day to this.</p>
+<p>As I stood upon the beach the next morning, while my
+portmanteau was being handed into the boat, I gave the Boots five
+zwanzigers.&nbsp; I was determined to show him that I did not
+condescend to feel anger against him.</p>
+<p>He took the money, looked into my face, and then whispered to
+me, &ldquo;Why did you not give me a word of notice
+beforehand?&rdquo; he said, and winked his eye.&nbsp; He was
+evidently a thief, and took me to be another;&mdash;but what did
+it matter?</p>
+<p>I went thence to Milan, in which city I had no heart to look
+at anything; thence to Verona, and so over the pass of the
+Brenner to Innspruck.&nbsp; When I once found myself near to my
+dear friends the Walkers I was again a happy man; and I may
+safely declare that, though a portion of my journey was so
+troublesome and unfortunate, I look back upon that tour as the
+happiest and the luckiest epoch of my life.</p>
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A
+BOX***</p>
+<pre>
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+
+This etext was produced by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk,
+from the 1864 "Tales of all Countries" Chapman and Hall edition.
+
+
+
+
+
+THE MAN WHO KEPT HIS MONEY IN A BOX
+
+by Anthony Trollope
+
+
+
+
+I first saw the man who kept his money in a box in the midst of the
+ravine of the Via Mala.  I interchanged a few words with him or with
+his wife at the hospice, at the top of the Splugen; and I became
+acquainted with him in the courtyard of Conradi's hotel at Chiavenna.
+It was, however, afterwards at Bellaggio, on the lake of Como, that
+that acquaintance ripened into intimacy.  A good many years have
+rolled by since then, and I believe this little episode in his life
+may be told without pain to the feelings of any one.
+
+His name was -; let us for the present say that his name was Greene.
+How he learned that my name was Robinson I do not know, but I remember
+well that he addressed me by my name at Chiavenna.  To go back,
+however, for a moment to the Via Mala;--I had been staying for a few
+days at the Golden Eagle at Tusis,--which, by-the-bye, I hold to be
+the best small inn in all Switzerland, and its hostess to be, or to
+have been, certainly the prettiest landlady,--and on the day of my
+departure southwards, I had walked on, into the Via Mala, so that the
+diligence might pick me up in the gorge.  This pass I regard as one of
+the grandest spots to which my wandering steps have ever carried me,
+and though I had already lingered about it for many hours, I now
+walked thither again to take my last farewell of its dark towering
+rocks, its narrow causeway and roaring river, trusting to my friend
+the landlady to see that my luggage was duly packed upon the
+diligence.  I need hardly say that my friend did not betray her trust.
+
+As one goes out from Switzerland towards Italy, the road through the
+Via Mala ascends somewhat steeply, and passengers by the diligence may
+walk from the inn at Tusis into the gorge, and make their way through
+the greater part of the ravine before the vehicle will overtake them.
+This, however, Mr. Greene with his wife and daughter had omitted to
+do.  When the diligence passed me in the defile, the horses trotting
+for a few yards over some level portion of the road, I saw a man's
+nose pressed close against the glass of the coupe window.  I saw more
+of his nose than of any other part of his face, but yet I could
+perceive that his neck was twisted and his eye upturned, and that he
+was making a painful effort to look upwards to the summit of the rocks
+from his position inside the carriage.
+
+There was such a roar of wind and waters at the spot that it was not
+practicable to speak to him, but I beckoned with my finger and then
+pointed to the road, indicating that he should have walked.  He
+understood me, though I did not at the moment understand his answering
+gesture.  It was subsequently, when I knew somewhat of his habits,
+that he explained to me that on pointing to his open mouth, he had
+intended to signify that he would be afraid of sore throat in exposing
+himself to the air of that damp and narrow passage.
+
+I got up into the conductor's covered seat at the back of the
+diligence, and in this position encountered the drifting snow of the
+Splugen.  I think it is coldest of all the passes.  Near the top of
+the pass the diligence stops for awhile, and it is here, if I
+remember, that the Austrian officials demand the travellers'
+passports.  At least in those days they did so.  These officials have
+now retreated behind the Quadrilatere,--soon, as we hope, to make a
+further retreat,--and the district belongs to the kingdom of United
+Italy.  There is a place of refreshment or hospice here, into which we
+all went for a few moments, and I then saw that my friend with the
+weak throat was accompanied by two ladies.
+
+"You should not have missed the Via Mala," I said to him, as he stood
+warming his toes at the huge covered stove.
+
+"We miss everything," said the elder of the two ladies, who, however,
+was very much younger than the gentleman, and not very much older than
+her companion.
+
+"I saw it beautifully, mamma," said the younger one; whereupon mamma
+gave her head a toss, and made up her mind, as I thought, to take some
+little vengeance before long upon her step-daughter.  I observed that
+Miss Greene always called her step-mother mamma on the first approach
+of any stranger, so that the nature of the connection between them
+might be understood.  And I observed also that the elder lady always
+gave her head a toss when she was so addressed.
+
+"We don't mean to enjoy ourselves till we get down to the lake of
+Como," said Mr. Greene.  As I looked at him cowering over the stove,
+and saw how oppressed he was with great coats and warm wrappings for
+his throat, I quite agreed with him that he had not begun to enjoy
+himself as yet.  Then we all got into our places again, and I saw no
+more of the Greenes till we were standing huddled together in the
+large courtyard of Conradi's hotel at Chiavenna.
+
+Chiavenna is the first Italian town which the tourist reaches by this
+route, and I know no town in the North of Italy which is so closely
+surrounded by beautiful scenery.  The traveller as he falls down to it
+from the Splugen road is bewildered by the loveliness of the valleys,-
+-that is to say, if he so arranges that he can see them without
+pressing his nose against the glass of a coach window.  And then from
+the town itself there are walks of two, three, and four hours, which I
+think are unsurpassed for wild and sometimes startling beauties.  One
+gets into little valleys, green as emeralds, and surrounded on all
+sides by grey broken rocks, in which Italian Rasselases might have
+lived in perfect bliss; and then again one comes upon distant views up
+the river courses, bounded far away by the spurs of the Alps, which
+are perfect,--to which the fancy can add no additional charm.
+Conradi's hotel also is by no means bad; or was not in those days.
+For my part I am inclined to think that Italian hotels have received a
+worse name than they deserve; and I must profess that, looking merely
+to creature comforts, I would much sooner stay a week at the Golden
+Key at Chiavenna, than with mine host of the King's Head in the
+thriving commercial town of Muddleboro, on the borders of Yorkshire
+and Lancashire.
+
+I am always rather keen about my room in travelling, and having
+secured a chamber looking out upon the mountains, had returned to the
+court-yard to collect my baggage before Mr. Greene had succeeded in
+realising his position, or understanding that he had to take upon
+himself the duties of settling his family for the night in the hotel
+by which he was surrounded.  When I descended he was stripping off the
+outermost of three great coats, and four waiters around him were
+beseeching him to tell them what accommodation he would require.  Mr.
+Greene was giving sundry very urgent instructions to the conductor
+respecting his boxes; but as these were given in English, I was not
+surprised to find that they were not accurately followed.  The man,
+however, was much too courteous to say in any language that he did not
+understand every word that was said to him.  Miss Greene was standing
+apart, doing nothing.  As she was only eighteen years of age, it was
+of course her business to do nothing; and a very pretty little girl
+she was, by no means ignorant of her own beauty, and possessed of
+quite sufficient wit to enable her to make the most of it.
+
+Mr. Greene was very leisurely in his proceedings, and the four waiters
+were almost reduced to despair.
+
+"I want two bed-rooms, a dressing-room, and some dinner," he said at
+last, speaking very slowly, and in his own vernacular.  I could not in
+the least assist him by translating it into Italian, for I did not
+speak a word of the language myself; but I suggested that the man
+would understand French.  The waiter, however, had understood English.
+Waiters do understand all languages with a facility that is
+marvellous; and this one now suggested that Mrs. Greene should follow
+him up-stairs.  Mrs. Greene, however, would not move till she had seen
+that her boxes were all right; and as Mrs. Greene was also a pretty
+woman, I found myself bound to apply myself to her assistance.
+
+"Oh, thank you," said she.  "The people are so stupid that one can
+really do nothing with them.  And as for Mr. Greene, he is of no use
+at all.  You see that box, the smaller one.  I have four hundred
+pounds' worth of jewellery in that, and therefore I am obliged to look
+after it."
+
+"Indeed," said I, rather startled at this amount of confidence on
+rather a short acquaintance.  "In that case I do not wonder at your
+being careful.  But is it not rather rash, perhaps--"
+
+"I know what you are going to say.  Well, perhaps it is rash.  But
+when you are going to foreign courts, what are you to do?  If you have
+got those sort of things you must wear them."
+
+As I was not myself possessed of anything of that sort, and had no
+intention of going to any foreign court, I could not argue the matter
+with her.  But I assisted her in getting together an enormous pile of
+luggage, among which there were seven large boxes covered with canvas,
+such as ladies not uncommonly carry with them when travelling.  That
+one which she represented as being smaller than the others, and as
+holding jewellery, might be about a yard long by a foot and a half
+deep.  Being ignorant in those matters, I should have thought it
+sufficient to carry all a lady's wardrobe for twelve months.  When the
+boxes were collected together, she sat down upon the jewel-case and
+looked up into my face.  She was a pretty woman, perhaps thirty years
+of age, with long light yellow hair, which she allowed to escape from
+her bonnet, knowing, perhaps, that it was not unbecoming to her when
+thus dishevelled.  Her skin was very delicate, and her complexion
+good.  Indeed her face would have been altogether prepossessing had
+there not been a want of gentleness in her eyes.  Her hands, too, were
+soft and small, and on the whole she may be said to have been
+possessed of a strong battery of feminine attractions.  She also well
+knew how to use them.
+
+"Whisper," she said to me, with a peculiar but very proper aspiration
+on the h--"Wh-hisper," and both by the aspiration and the use of the
+word I knew at once from what island she had come.  "Mr. Greene keeps
+all his money in this box also; so I never let it go out of my sight
+for a moment.  But whatever you do, don't tell him that I told you
+so."
+
+I laid my hand on my heart, and made a solemn asseveration that I
+would not divulge her secret.  I need not, however, have troubled
+myself much on that head, for as I walked up stairs, keeping my eye
+upon the precious trunk, Mr. Greene addressed me.
+
+"You are an Englishman, Mr. Robinson," said he.  I acknowledged that I
+was.
+
+"I am another.  My wife, however, is Irish.  My daughter,--by a former
+marriage,--is English also.  You see that box there."
+
+"Oh, yes," said I, "I see it."  I began to be so fascinated by the box
+that I could not keep my eyes off it.
+
+"I don't know whether or no it is prudent, but I keep all my money
+there; my money for travelling, I mean."
+
+"If I were you, then," I answered, "I would not say anything about it
+to any one."
+
+"Oh, no, of course not," said he; "I should not think of mentioning
+it.  But those brigands in Italy always take away what you have about
+your person, but they don't meddle with the heavy luggage."
+
+"Bills of exchange, or circular notes," I suggested.
+
+"Ah, yes; and if you can't identify yourself, or happen to have a
+headache, you can't get them changed.  I asked an old friend of mine,
+who has been connected with the Bank of England for the last fifty
+years, and he assured me that there was nothing like sovereigns."
+
+"But you never get the value for them."
+
+"Well, not quite.  One loses a franc, or a franc and a half.  But
+still, there's the certainty, and that's the great matter.  An English
+sovereign will go anywhere," and he spoke these words with
+considerable triumph.
+
+"Undoubtedly, if you consent to lose a shilling on each sovereign."
+
+"At any rate, I have got three hundred and fifty in that box," he
+said.  "I have them done up in rolls of twenty-five pounds each."
+
+I again recommended him to keep this arrangement of his as private as
+possible,--a piece of counsel which I confess seemed to me to be much
+needed,--and then I went away to my own room, having first accepted an
+invitation from Mrs. Greene to join their party at dinner.  "Do," said
+she; "we have been so dull, and it will be so pleasant."
+
+I did not require to be much pressed to join myself to a party in
+which there was so pretty a girl as Miss Greene, and so attractive a
+woman as Mrs. Greene.  I therefore accepted the invitation readily,
+and went away to make my toilet.  As I did so I passed the door of Mr.
+Greene's room, and saw the long file of boxes being borne into the
+centre of it.
+
+I spent a pleasant evening, with, however, one or two slight
+drawbacks.  As to old Greene himself, he was all that was amiable; but
+then he was nervous, full of cares, and somewhat apt to be a bore.  He
+wanted information on a thousand points, and did not seem to
+understand that a young man might prefer the conversation of his
+daughter to his own.  Not that he showed any solicitude to prevent
+conversation on the part of his daughter.  I should have been
+perfectly at liberty to talk to either of the ladies had he not wished
+to engross all my attention to himself.  He also had found it dull to
+be alone with his wife and daughter for the last six weeks.
+
+He was a small spare man, probably over fifty years of age, who gave
+me to understand that he had lived in London all his life, and had
+made his own fortune in the city.  What he had done in the city to
+make his fortune he did not say.  Had I come across him there I should
+no doubt have found him to be a sharp man of business, quite competent
+to teach me many a useful lesson of which I was as ignorant as an
+infant.  Had he caught me on the Exchange, or at Lloyd's, or in the
+big room of the Bank of England, I should have been compelled to ask
+him everything.  Now, in this little town under the Alps, he was as
+much lost as I should have been in Lombard Street, and was ready
+enough to look to me for information.  I was by no means chary in
+giving him my counsel, and imparting to him my ideas on things in
+general in that part of the world;--only I should have preferred to be
+allowed to make myself civil to his daughter.
+
+In the course of conversation it was mentioned by him that they
+intended to stay a few days at Bellaggio, which, as all the world
+knows, is a central spot on the lake of Como, and a favourite resting-
+place for travellers.  There are three lakes which all meet here, and
+to all of which we give the name of Como.  They are properly called
+the lakes of Como, Colico, and Lecco; and Bellaggio is the spot at
+which their waters join each other.  I had half made up my mind to
+sleep there one night on my road into Italy, and now, on hearing their
+purpose, I declared that such was my intention.
+
+"How very pleasant," said Mrs. Greene.  "It will be quite delightful
+to have some one to show us how to settle ourselves, for really--"
+
+"My dear, I'm sure you can't say that you ever have much trouble."
+
+"And who does then, Mr. Greene?  I am sure Sophonisba does not do much
+to help me."
+
+"You won't let me," said Sophonisba, whose name I had not before
+heard.  Her papa had called her Sophy in the yard of the inn.
+Sophonisba Greene!  Sophonisba Robinson did not sound so badly in my
+ears, and I confess that I had tried the names together.  Her papa had
+mentioned to me that he had no other child, and had mentioned also
+that he had made his fortune.
+
+And then there was a little family contest as to the amount of
+travelling labour which fell to the lot of each of the party, during
+which I retired to one of the windows of the big front room in which
+we were sitting.  And how much of this labour there is incidental to a
+tourist's pursuits!  And how often these little contests do arise upon
+a journey!  Who has ever travelled and not known them?  I had taken up
+such a position at the window as might, I thought, have removed me out
+of hearing; but nevertheless from time to time a word would catch my
+ear about that precious box.  "I have never taken MY eyes off it since
+I left England," said Mrs. Greene, speaking quick, and with a
+considerable brogue superinduced by her energy.  "Where would it have
+been at Basle if I had not been looking after it?"  "Quite safe," said
+Sophonisba; "those large things always are safe."  "Are they, Miss?
+That's all you know about it.  I suppose your bonnet-box was quite
+safe when I found it on the platform at--at--I forget the name of the
+place?"
+
+"Freidrichshafen," said Sophonisba, with almost an unnecessary amount
+of Teutonic skill in her pronunciation.  "Well, mamma, you have told
+me of that at least twenty times."  Soon after that, the ladies took
+them to their own rooms, weary with the travelling of two days and a
+night, and Mr. Greene went fast asleep in the very comfortless chair
+in which he was seated.
+
+At four o'clock on the next morning we started on our journey.
+
+
+"Early to bed, and early to rise,
+Is the way to be healthy, and wealthy, and wise."
+
+
+We all know that lesson, and many of us believe in it; but if the
+lesson be true, the Italians ought to be the healthiest and wealthiest
+and wisest of all men and women.  Three or four o'clock seems to them
+quite a natural hour for commencing the day's work.  Why we should
+have started from Chiavenna at four o'clock in order that we might be
+kept waiting for the boat an hour and a half on the little quay at
+Colico, I don't know; but such was our destiny.  There we remained an
+hour and a half; Mrs. Greene sitting pertinaciously on the one
+important box.  She had designated it as being smaller than the
+others, and, as all the seven were now ranged in a row, I had an
+opportunity of comparing them.  It was something smaller,--perhaps an
+inch less high, and an inch and a half shorter.  She was a sharp
+woman, and observed my scrutiny.  "I always know it," she said in a
+loud whisper, "by this little hole in the canvas," and she put her
+finger on a slight rent on one of the ends.  "As for Greene, if one of
+those Italian brigands were to walk off with it on his shoulders,
+before his eyes, he wouldn't be the wiser.  How helpless you men are,
+Mr. Robinson!"
+
+"It is well for us that we have women to look after us."
+
+"But you have got no one to look after you;--or perhaps you have left
+her behind?"
+
+"No, indeed.  I'm all alone in the world as yet.  But it's not my own
+fault.  I have asked half a dozen."
+
+"Now, Mr. Robinson!"  And in this way the time passed on the quay at
+Colico, till the boat came and took us away.  I should have preferred
+to pass my time in making myself agreeable to the younger lady; but
+the younger lady stood aloof, turning up her nose, as I thought, at
+her mamma.
+
+I will not attempt to describe the scenery about Colico.  The little
+town itself is one of the vilest places under the sun, having no
+accommodation for travellers, and being excessively unhealthy; but
+there is very little either north or south of the Alps,--and, perhaps,
+I may add, very little elsewhere,--to beat the beauty of the mountains
+which cluster round the head of the lake.  When we had sat upon those
+boxes that hour and a half, we were taken on board the steamer, which
+had been lying off a little way from the shore, and then we commenced
+our journey.  Of course there was a good deal of exertion and care
+necessary in getting the packages off from the shore on to the boat,
+and I observed that any one with half an eye in his head might have
+seen that the mental anxiety expended on that one box which was marked
+by the small hole in the canvas far exceeded that which was extended
+to all the other six boxes.  "They deserve that it should be stolen,"
+I said to myself, "for being such fools."  And then we went down to
+breakfast in the cabin.
+
+"I suppose it must be safe," said Mrs. Greene to me, ignoring the fact
+that the cabin waiter understood English, although she had just
+ordered some veal cutlets in that language.
+
+"As safe as a church," I replied, not wishing to give much apparent
+importance to the subject.
+
+"They can't carry it off here," said Mr. Greene.  But he was innocent
+of any attempt at a joke, and was looking at me with all his eyes.
+
+"They might throw it overboard," said Sophonisba.  I at once made up
+my mind that she could not be a good-natured girl.  The moment that
+breakfast was over, Mrs. Greene returned again up-stairs, and I found
+her seated on one of the benches near the funnel, from which she could
+keep her eyes fixed upon the box.  "When one is obliged to carry about
+one's jewels with one, one must be careful, Mr. Robinson," she said to
+me apologetically.  But I was becoming tired of the box, and the
+funnel was hot and unpleasant, therefore I left her.
+
+I had made up my mind that Sophonisba was ill-natured; but,
+nevertheless, she was pretty, and I now went through some little
+manoeuvres with the object of getting into conversation with her.
+This I soon did, and was surprised by her frankness.  "How tired you
+must be of mamma and her box," she said to me.  To this I made some
+answer, declaring that I was rather interested than otherwise in the
+safety of the precious trunk.  "It makes me sick," said Sophonisba,
+"to hear her go on in that way to a perfect stranger.  I heard what
+she said about her jewellery."
+
+"It is natural she should be anxious," I said, "seeing that it
+contains so much that is valuable."
+
+"Why did she bring them?" said Sophonisba.  "She managed to live very
+well without jewels till papa married her, about a year since; and now
+she can't travel about for a month without lugging them with her
+everywhere.  I should be so glad if some one would steal them."
+
+"But all Mr. Greene's money is there also."
+
+"I don't want papa to be bothered, but I declare I wish the box might
+be lost for a day or so.  She is such a fool; don't you think so, Mr.
+Robinson?"
+
+At this time it was just fourteen hours since I first had made their
+acquaintance in the yard of Conradi's hotel, and of those fourteen
+hours more than half had been passed in bed.  I must confess that I
+looked upon Sophonisba as being almost more indiscreet than her
+mother-in-law.  Nevertheless, she was not stupid, and I continued my
+conversation with her the greatest part of the way down the lake
+towards Bellaggio.
+
+These steamers which run up and down the lake of Como and the Lago
+Maggiore, put out their passengers at the towns on the banks of the
+water by means of small rowing-boats, and the persons who are about to
+disembark generally have their own articles ready to their hands when
+their turn comes for leaving the steamer.  As we came near to
+Bellaggio, I looked up my own portmanteau, and, pointing to the
+beautiful wood-covered hill that stands at the fork of the waters,
+told my friend Greene that he was near his destination.  "I am very
+glad to hear it," said he, complacently, but he did not at the moment
+busy himself about the boxes.  Then the small boat ran up alongside
+the steamer, and the passengers for Como and Milan crowded up the
+side.
+
+"We have to go in that boat," I said to Greene.
+
+"Nonsense!" he exclaimed.
+
+"Oh, but we have."
+
+"What! put our boxes into that boat," said Mrs. Greene.  "Oh dear!
+Here, boatman! there are seven of these boxes, all in white like
+this," and she pointed to the one that had the hole in the canvas.
+"Make haste.  And there are two bags, and my dressing case, and Mr.
+Greene's portmanteau.  Mr. Greene, where is your portmanteau?"
+
+The boatman whom she addressed, no doubt did not understand a word of
+English, but nevertheless he knew what she meant, and, being well
+accustomed to the work, got all the luggage together in an incredibly
+small number of moments.
+
+"If you will get down into the boat," I said, "I will see that the
+luggage follows you before I leave the deck."
+
+"I won't stir," she said, "till I see that box lifted down.  Take
+care; you'll let it fall into the lake.  I know you will."
+
+"I wish they would," Sophonisba whispered into my ear.
+
+Mr. Greene said nothing, but I could see that his eyes were as
+anxiously fixed on what was going on as were those of his wife.  At
+last, however, the three Greens were in the boat, as also were all the
+packages.  Then I followed them, my portmanteau having gone down
+before me, and we pushed off for Bellaggio.  Up to this period most of
+the attendants around us had understood a word or two of English, but
+now it would be well if we could find some one to whose ears French
+would not be unfamiliar.  As regarded Mr. Greene and his wife, they, I
+found, must give up all conversation, as they knew nothing of any
+language but their own.  Sophonisba could make herself understood in
+French, and was quite at home, as she assured me, in German.  And then
+the boat was beached on the shore at Bellaggio, and we all had to go
+again to work with the object of getting ourselves lodged at the hotel
+which overlooks the water.
+
+I had learned before that the Greenes were quite free from any trouble
+in this respect, for their rooms had been taken for them before they
+left England.  Trusting to this, Mrs. Greene gave herself no
+inconsiderable airs the moment her foot was on the shore, and ordered
+the people about as though she were the Lady Paramount of Bellaggio.
+Italians, however, are used to this from travellers of a certain
+description.  They never resent such conduct, but simply put it down
+in the bill with the other articles.  Mrs. Greene's words on this
+occasion were innocent enough, seeing that they were English; but had
+I been that head waiter who came down to the beach with his nice black
+shiny hair, and his napkin under his arm, I should have thought her
+manner very insolent.
+
+Indeed, as it was, I did think so, and was inclined to be angry with
+her.  She was to remain for some time at Bellaggio, and therefore it
+behoved her, as she thought, to assume the character of the grand lady
+at once.  Hitherto she had been willing enough to do the work, but now
+she began to order about Mr. Greene and Sophonisba; and, as it
+appeared to me, to order me about also.  I did not quite enjoy this;
+so leaving her still among her luggage and satellites, I walked up to
+the hotel to see about my own bed-room.  I had some seltzer water,
+stood at the window for three or four minutes, and then walked up and
+down the room.  But still the Greenes were not there.  As I had put in
+at Bellaggio solely with the object of seeing something more of
+Sophonisba, it would not do for me to quarrel with them, or to allow
+them so to settle themselves in their private sitting-room, that I
+should be excluded.  Therefore I returned again to the road by which
+they must come up, and met the procession near the house.
+
+Mrs. Greene was leading it with great majesty, the waiter with the
+shiny hair walking by her side to point out to her the way.  Then came
+all the luggage,--each porter carrying a white canvas-covered box.
+That which was so valuable no doubt was carried next to Mrs. Greene,
+so that she might at a moment's notice put her eye upon the well-known
+valuable rent.  I confess that I did not observe the hole as the train
+passed by me, nor did I count the number of the boxes.  Seven boxes,
+all alike, are very many; and then they were followed by three other
+men with the inferior articles,--Mr. Greene's portmanteau, the
+carpetbag, &e., &c.  At the tail of the line, I found Mr. Greene, and
+behind him Sophonisba.  "All your fatigues will be over now," I said
+to the gentleman, thinking it well not to be too particular in my
+attentions to his daughter.  He was panting beneath a terrible great-
+coat, having forgotten that the shores of an Italian lake are not so
+cold as the summits of the Alps, and did not answer me.  "I'm sure I
+hope so," said Sophonisba.  "And I shall advise papa not to go any
+farther unless he can persuade Mrs. Greene to send her jewels home."
+"Sophy, my dear," he said, "for Heaven's sake let us have a little
+peace since we are here."  From all which I gathered that Mr. Green
+had not been fortunate in his second matrimonial adventure.  We then
+made our way slowly up to the hotel, having been altogether distanced
+by the porters, and when we reached the house we found that the
+different packages were already being carried away through the house,
+some this way and some that.  Mrs. Green, the meanwhile, was talking
+loudly at the door of her own sitting-room.
+
+"Mr. Greene," she said, as soon as she saw her heavily oppressed
+spouse,--for the noonday sun was up,--"Mr. Greene, where are you?"
+
+"Here, my dear," and Mr. Greene threw himself panting into the corner
+of a sofa.
+
+"A little seltzer water and brandy," I suggested.  Mr. Greene's inmost
+heart leaped at the hint, and nothing that his remonstrant wife could
+say would induce him to move, until he had enjoyed the delicious
+draught.  In the mean time the box with the hole in the canvas had
+been lost.
+
+Yes; when we came to look into matters, to count the packages, and to
+find out where we were, the box with the hole in the canvas was not
+there.  Or, at any rate, Mrs. Greene said it was not there.  I worked
+hard to look it up, and even went into Sophonisba's bed-room in my
+search.  In Sophonisba's bed-room there was but one canvas-covered
+box.  "That is my own," said she, "and it is all that I have, except
+this bag."
+
+"Where on earth can it be?" said I, sitting down on the trunk in
+question.  At the moment I almost thought that she had been
+instrumental in hiding it.
+
+"How am I to know?" she answered; and I fancied that even she was
+dismayed.  "What a fool that woman is!"
+
+"The box must be in the house," I said.
+
+"Do find it, for papa's sake; there's a good fellow.  He will be so
+wretched without his money.  I heard him say that he had only two
+pounds in his purse."
+
+"Oh, I can let him have money to go on with," I answered grandly.  And
+then I went off to prove that I was a good fellow, and searched
+throughout the house.  Two white boxes had by order been left
+downstairs, as they would not be needed; and these two were in a large
+cupboard of the hall, which was used expressly for stowing away
+luggage.  And then there were three in Mrs. Greene's bed-room, which
+had been taken there as containing the wardrobe which she would
+require while remaining at Bellaggio.  I searched every one of these
+myself to see if I could find the hole in the canvas.  But the hole in
+the canvas was not there.  And let me count as I would, I could make
+out only six.  Now there certainly had been seven on board the
+steamer, though I could not swear that I had seen the seven put into
+the small boat.
+
+"Mr. Greene," said the lady standing in the middle of her remaining
+treasures, all of which were now open, "you are worth nothing when
+travelling.  Were you not behind?"  But Mr. Greene's mind was full,
+and he did not answer.
+
+"It has been stolen before your very eyes," she continued.
+
+"Nonsense, mamma," said Sophonisba.  "If ever it came out of the
+steamer it certainly came into the house."
+
+"I saw it out of the steamer," said Mrs. Greene, "and it certainly is
+not in the house.  Mr. Robinson, may I trouble you to send for the
+police?--at once, if you please, sir."
+
+I had been at Bellaggio twice before, but nevertheless I was ignorant
+of their system of police.  And then, again, I did not know what was
+the Italian for the word.
+
+"I will speak to the landlord," I said.
+
+"If you will have the goodness to send for the police at once, I will
+be obliged to you."  And as she thus reiterated her command, she
+stamped with her foot upon the floor.
+
+"There are no police at Bellaggio," said Sophonisba.
+
+"What on earth shall I do for money to go on with?" said Mr. Greene,
+looking piteously up to the ceiling, and shaking both his hands.
+
+And now the whole house was in an uproar, including not only the
+landlord, his wife and daughters, and all the servants, but also every
+other visitor at the hotel.  Mrs. Greene was not a lady who hid either
+her glories or her griefs under a bushel, and, though she spoke only
+in English, she soon made her protestations sufficiently audible.  She
+protested loudly that she had been robbed, and that she had been
+robbed since she left the steamer.  The box had come on shore; of that
+she was quite certain.  If the landlord had any regard either for his
+own character or for that of his house, he would ascertain before an
+hour was over where it was, and who had been the thief.  She would
+give him an hour.  And then she sat herself down; but in two minutes
+she was up again, vociferating her wrongs as loudly as ever.  All this
+was filtered through me and Sophonisba to the waiter in French, and
+from the waiter to the landlord; but the lady's gestures required no
+translation to make them intelligible, and the state of her mind on
+the matter was, I believe, perfectly well understood.
+
+Mr. Greene I really did pity.  His feelings of dismay seemed to be
+quite as deep, but his sorrow and solicitude were repressed into more
+decorum.  "What am I to do for money?" he said.  "I have not a
+shilling to go on with!"  And he still looked up at the ceiling.
+
+"You must send to England," said Sophonisba.
+
+"It will take a month," he replied.
+
+"Mr. Robinson will let you have what you want at present," added
+Sophonisba.  Now I certainly had said so, and had meant it at the
+time.  But my whole travelling store did not exceed forty or fifty
+pounds, with which I was going on to Venice, and then back to England
+through the Tyrol.  Waiting a month for Mr. Greene's money from
+England might be even more inconvenient to me than to him.  Then it
+occurred to me that the wants of the Greene family would be numerous
+and expensive, and that my small stock would go but a little way among
+so many.  And what also if there had been no money and no jewels in
+that accursed box!  I confess that at the moment such an idea did
+strike my mind.  One hears of sharpers on every side committing
+depredations by means of most singular intrigues and contrivances.
+Might it not be possible that the whole batch of Greenes belonged to
+this order of society.  It was a base idea, I own; but I confess that
+I entertained it for a moment.
+
+I retired to my own room for a while that I might think over all the
+circumstances.  There certainly had been seven boxes, and one had had
+a hole in the canvas.  All the seven had certainly been on board the
+steamer.  To so much I felt that I might safely swear.  I had not
+counted the seven into the small boat, but on leaving the larger
+vessel I had looked about the deck to see that none of the Greene
+trappings were forgotten.  If left on the steamer, it had been so left
+through an intent on the part of some one there employed.  It was
+quite possible that the contents of the box had been ascertained
+through the imprudence of Mrs. Greene, and that it had been conveyed
+away so that it might be rifled at Como.  As to Mrs. Greene's
+assertion that all the boxes had been put into the small boat, I
+thought nothing of it.  The people at Bellaggio could not have known
+which box to steal, nor had there been time to concoct the plan in
+carrying the boxes up to the hotel.  I came at last to this
+conclusion, that the missing trunk had either been purloined and
+carried on to Como,--in which case it would be necessary to lose no
+time in going after it; or that it had been put out of sight in some
+uncommonly clever way, by the Greenes themselves, as an excuse for
+borrowing as much money as they could raise and living without payment
+of their bills.  With reference to the latter hypothesis, I declared
+to myself that Greene did not look like a swindler; but as to Mrs.
+Greene--!  I confess that I did not feel so confident in regard to
+her.
+
+Charity begins at home, so I proceeded to make myself comfortable in
+my room, feeling almost certain that I should not be able to leave
+Bellaggio on the following morning.  I had opened my portmanteau when
+I first arrived, leaving it open on the floor as is my wont.  Some
+people are always being robbed, and are always locking up everything;
+while others wander safe over the world and never lock up anything.
+For myself, I never turn a key anywhere, and no one ever purloins from
+me even a handkerchief.  Cantabit vacuus--, and I am always
+sufficiently vacuus.  Perhaps it is that I have not a handkerchief
+worth the stealing.  It is your heavy-laden, suspicious, mal-adroit
+Greenes that the thieves attack.  I now found out that the
+accommodating Boots, who already knew my ways, had taken my travelling
+gear into a dark recess which was intended to do for a dressing-room,
+and had there spread my portmanteau open upon some table or stool in
+the corner.  It was a convenient arrangement, and there I left it
+during the whole period of my sojourn.
+
+Mrs. Greene had given the landlord an hour to find the box, and during
+that time the landlord, the landlady, their three daughters, and all
+the servants in the house certainly did exert themselves to the
+utmost.  Half a dozen times they came to my door, but I was
+luxuriating in a washing-tub, making up for that four-o'clock start
+from Chiavenna.  I assured them, however, that the box was not there,
+and so the search passed by.  At the end of the hour I went back to
+the Greenes according to promise, having resolved that some one must
+be sent on to Como to look after the missing article.
+
+There was no necessity to knock at their sitting-room door, for it was
+wide open.  I walked in, and found Mrs. Greene still engaged in
+attacking the landlord, while all the porters who had carried the
+luggage up to the house were standing round.  Her voice was loud above
+the others, but, luckily for them all, she was speaking English.  The
+landlord, I saw, was becoming sulky.  He spoke in Italian, and we none
+of us understood him, but I gathered that he was declining to do
+anything further.  The box, he was certain, had never come out of the
+steamer.  The Boots stood by interpreting into French, and, acting as
+second interpreter, I put it into English.
+
+Mr. Greene, who was seated on the sofa, groaned audibly, but said
+nothing.  Sophonisba, who was sitting by him, beat upon the floor with
+both her feet.
+
+"Do you hear, Mr. Greene?" said she, turning to him.  "Do you mean to
+allow that vast amount of property to be lost without an effort?  Are
+you prepared to replace my jewels?"
+
+"Her jewels!" said Sophonisba, looking up into my face.  "Papa had to
+pay the bill for every stitch she had when he married her."  These
+last words were so spoken as to be audible only by me, but her first
+exclamation was loud enough.  Were they people for whom it would be
+worth my while to delay my journey, and put myself to serious
+inconvenience with reference to money?
+
+A few minutes afterwards I found myself with Greene on the terrace
+before the house.  "What ought I to do?" said he.
+
+"Go to Como," said I, "and look after your box.  I will remain here
+and go on board the return steamer.  It may perhaps be there."
+
+"But I can't speak a word of Italian," said he.
+
+"Take the Boots," said I.
+
+"But I can't speak a word of French."  And then it ended in my
+undertaking to go to Como.  I swear that the thought struck me that I
+might as well take my portmanteau with me, and cut and run when I got
+there.  The Greenes were nothing to me.
+
+I did not, however, do this.  I made the poor man a promise, and I
+kept it.  I took merely a dressing-bag, for I knew that I must sleep
+at Como; and, thus resolving to disarrange all my plans, I started.  I
+was in the midst of beautiful scenery, but I found it quite impossible
+to draw any enjoyment from it;--from that or from anything around me.
+My whole mind was given up to anathemas against this odious box, as to
+which I had undoubtedly heavy cause of complaint.  What was the box to
+me?  I went to Como by the afternoon steamer, and spent a long dreary
+evening down on the steamboat quays searching everywhere, and
+searching in vain.  The boat by which we had left Colico had gone back
+to Colico, but the people swore that nothing had been left on board
+it.  It was just possible that such a box might have gone on to Milan
+with the luggage of other passengers.
+
+I slept at Como, and on the following morning I went on to Milan.
+There was no trace of the box to be found in that city.  I went round
+to every hotel and travelling office, but could hear nothing of it.
+Parties had gone to Venice, and Florence, and Bologna, and any of them
+might have taken the box.  No one, however, remembered it; and I
+returned back to Como, and thence to Bellaggio, reaching the latter
+place at nine in the evening, disappointed, weary, and cross.
+
+"Has Monsieur found the accursed trunk?" said the Bellaggio Boots,
+meeting me on the quay.
+
+"In the name of the--, no.  Has it not turned up here?"
+
+"Monsieur," said the Boots, "we shall all be mad soon.  The poor
+master, he is mad already."  And then I went up to the house.
+
+"My jewels!" shouted Mrs. Greene, rushing to me with her arms
+stretched out as soon as she heard my step in the corridor.  I am sure
+that she would have embraced me had I found the box.  I had not,
+however, earned any such reward.  "I can hear nothing of the box
+either at Como or Milan," I said.
+
+"Then what on earth am I to do for my money?" said Mr. Greene.
+
+I had had neither dinner nor supper, but the elder Greenes did not
+care for that.  Mr. Greene sat silent in despair, and Mrs. Greene
+stormed about the room in her anger.  "I am afraid you are very
+tired," said Sophonisba.
+
+"I am tired, and hungry, and thirsty," said I.  I was beginning to get
+angry, and to think myself ill used.  And that idea as to a family of
+swindlers became strong again.  Greene had borrowed ten napoleons from
+me before I started for Como, and I had spent above four in my
+fruitless journey to that place and Milan.  I was beginning to fear
+that my whole purpose as to Venice and the Tyrol would be destroyed;
+and I had promised to meet friends at Innspruck, who,--who were very
+much preferable to the Greenes.  As events turned out, I did meet
+them.  Had I failed in this, the present Mrs. Robinson would not have
+been sitting opposite to me.
+
+I went to my room and dressed myself, and then Sophonisba presided
+over the tea-table for me.  "What are we to do?" she asked me in a
+confidential whisper.
+
+"Wait for money from England."
+
+"But they will think we are all sharpers," she said; "and upon my word
+I do not wonder at it from the way in which that woman goes on."  She
+then leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and her face on
+her hand, and told me a long history of all their family discomforts.
+Her papa was a very good sort of man, only he had been made a fool of
+by that intriguing woman, who had been left without a sixpence with
+which to bless herself.  And now they had nothing but quarrels and
+misery.  Papa did not always got the worst of it;--papa could rouse
+himself sometimes; only now he was beaten down and cowed by the loss
+of his money.  This whispering confidence was very nice in its way,
+seeing that Sophonisba was a pretty girl; but the whole matter seemed
+to be full of suspicion.
+
+"If they did not want to take you in in one way, they did in another,"
+said the present Mrs. Robinson, when I told the story to her at
+Innspruck.  I beg that it may be understood that at the time of my
+meeting the Greenes I was not engaged to the present Mrs. Robinson,
+and was open to make any matrimonial engagement that might have been
+pleasing to me.
+
+On the next morning, after breakfast, we held a council of war.  I had
+been informed that Mr. Greene had made a fortune, and was justified in
+presuming him to be a rich man.  It seemed to me, therefore, that his
+course was easy.  Let him wait at Bellaggio for more money, and when
+he returned home, let him buy Mrs. Greene more jewels.  A poor man
+always presumes that a rich man is indifferent about his money.  But
+in truth a rich man never is indifferent about his money, and poor
+Greene looked very blank at my proposition.
+
+"Do you mean to say that it's gone for ever?" he asked.
+
+"I'll not leave the country without knowing more about it," said Mrs.
+Greene.
+
+"It certainly is very odd," said Sophonisba.  Even Sophonisba seemed
+to think that I was too off-hand.
+
+"It will be a month before I can get money, and my bill here will be
+something tremendous," said Greene.
+
+"I wouldn't pay them a farthing till I got my box," said Mrs. Greene.
+
+"That's nonsense," said Sophonisba.  And so it was.  "Hold your
+tongue, Miss!" said the step-mother.
+
+"Indeed, I shall not hold my tongue," said the step-daughter.  Poor
+Greene!  He had lost more than his box within the last twelve months;
+for, as I had learned in that whispered conversation over the tea-
+table with Sophonisba; this was in reality her papa's marriage trip.
+
+Another day was now gone, and we all went to bed.  Had I not been very
+foolish I should have had myself called at five in the morning, and
+have gone away by the early boat, leaving my ten napoleons behind me.
+But, unfortunately, Sophonisba had exacted a promise from me that I
+would not do this, and thus all chance of spending a day or two in
+Venice was lost to me.  Moreover, I was thoroughly fatigued, and
+almost glad of any excuse which would allow me to lie in bed on the
+following morning.  I did lie in bed till nine o'clock, and then found
+the Greenes at breakfast.
+
+"Let us go and look at the Serbelloni Gardens," said I, as soon as the
+silent meal was over; "or take a boat over to the Sommariva Villa."
+
+"I should like it so much," said Sophonisba.
+
+"We will do nothing of the kind till I have found my property," said
+Mrs. Greene.  "Mr. Robinson, what arrangement did you make yesterday
+with the police at Como?"
+
+"The police at Como?" I said.  "I did not go to the police."
+
+"Not go to the police?  And do you mean to say that I am to be robbed
+of my jewels and no efforts made for redress?  Is there no such thing
+as a constable in this wretched country?  Mr. Greene, I do insist upon
+it that you at once go to the nearest British consul."
+
+"I suppose I had better write home for money," said he.
+
+"And do you mean to say that you haven't written yet?" said I,
+probably with some acrimony in my voice.
+
+"You needn't scold papa," said Sophonisba.
+
+"I don't know what I am to do," said Mr. Greene, and he began walking
+up and down the room; but still he did not call for pen and ink, and I
+began again to feel that he was a swindler.  Was it possible that a
+man of business, who had made his fortune in London, should allow his
+wife to keep all her jewels in a box, and carry about his own money in
+the same?
+
+"I don't see why you need be so very unhappy, papa," said Sophonisba.
+"Mr. Robinson, I'm sure, will let you have whatever money you may want
+at present."  This was pleasant!
+
+"And will Mr. Robinson return me my jewels which were lost, I must
+say, in a great measure, through his carelessness," said Mrs. Greene.
+This was pleasanter!
+
+"Upon my word, Mrs. Greene, I must deny that," said I, jumping up.
+"What on earth could I have done more than I did do?  I have been to
+Milan and nearly fagged myself to death."
+
+"Why didn't you bring a policeman back with you?"
+
+"You would tell everybody on board the boat what there was in it,"
+said I.
+
+"I told nobody but you," she answered.
+
+"I suppose you mean to imply that I've taken the box," I rejoined.  So
+that on this, the third or fourth day of our acquaintance, we did not
+go on together quite pleasantly.
+
+But what annoyed me, perhaps, the most, was the confidence with which
+it seemed to be Mr. Greene's intention to lean upon my resources.  He
+certainly had not written home yet, and had taken my ten napoleons, as
+one friend may take a few shillings from another when he finds that he
+has left his own silver on his dressing-table.  What could he have
+wanted of ten napoleons?  He had alleged the necessity of paying the
+porters, but the few francs he had had in his pocket would have been
+enough for that.  And now Sophonisba was ever and again prompt in her
+assurances that he need not annoy himself about money, because I was
+at his right hand.  I went upstairs into my own room, and counting all
+my treasures, found that thirty-six pounds and some odd silver was the
+extent of my wealth.  With that I had to go, at any rate, as far as
+Innspruck, and from thence back to London.  It was quite impossible
+that I should make myself responsible for the Greenes' bill at
+Bellaggio.
+
+We dined early, and after dinner, according to a promise made in the
+morning, Sophonisba ascended with me into the Serbelloni Gardens, and
+walked round the terraces on that beautiful hill which commands the
+view of the three lakes.  When we started I confess that I would
+sooner have gone alone, for I was sick of the Greenes in my very soul.
+We had had a terrible day.  The landlord had been sent for so often,
+that he refused to show himself again.  The landlady--though Italians
+of that class are always courteous--had been so driven that she
+snapped her fingers in Mrs. Greene's face.  The three girls would not
+show themselves.  The waiters kept out of the way as much as possible;
+and the Boots, in confidence, abused them to me behind their back.
+"Monsieur," said the Boots, "do you think there ever was such a box?"
+
+"Perhaps not," said I; and yet I knew that I had seen it.
+
+I would, therefore, have preferred to walk without Sophonisba; but
+that now was impossible.  So I determined that I would utilise the
+occasion by telling her of my present purpose.  I had resolved to
+start on the following day, and it was now necessary to make my
+friends understand that it was not in my power to extend to them any
+further pecuniary assistance.
+
+Sophonisba, when we were on the hill, seemed to have forgotten the
+box, and to be willing that I should forget it also.  But this was
+impossible.  When, therefore, she told me how sweet it was to escape
+from that terrible woman, and leaned on my arm with all the freedom of
+old acquaintance, I was obliged to cut short the pleasure of the
+moment.
+
+"I hope your father has written that letter," said I.
+
+"He means to write it from Milan.  We know you want to get on, so we
+purpose to leave here the day after to-morrow."
+
+"Oh!" said I thinking of the bill immediately, and remembering that
+Mrs. Greene had insisted on having champagne for dinner.
+
+"And if anything more is to be done about the nasty box, it may be
+done there," continued Sophonisba.
+
+"But I must go to-morrow," said I, "at 5 a.m."
+
+"Nonsense," said Sophonisba.  "Go to-morrow, when I,--I mean we,--are
+going on the next day!"
+
+"And I might as well explain," said I, gently dropping the hand that
+was on my arm, "that I find,--I find it will be impossible for me--to-
+-to--"
+
+"To what?"
+
+"To advance Mr. Greene any more money just at present."  Then
+Sophonisba's arm dropped all at once, and she exclaimed, "Oh, Mr.
+Robinson!"
+
+After all, there was a certain hard good sense about Miss Greene which
+would have protected her from my evil thoughts had I known all the
+truth.  I found out afterwards that she was a considerable heiress,
+and, in spite of the opinion expressed by the present Mrs. Robinson
+when Miss Walker, I do not for a moment think she would have accepted
+me had I offered to her.
+
+"You are quite right not to embarrass yourself," she said, when I
+explained to her my immediate circumstances; "but why did you make
+papa an offer which you cannot perform?  He must remain here now till
+he hears from England.  Had you explained it all at first, the ten
+napoleons would have carried us to Milan."  This was all true, and yet
+I thought it hard upon me.
+
+It was evident to me now, that Sophonisba was prepared to join her
+step-mother in thinking that I had ill-treated them, and I had not
+much doubt that I should find Mr. Greene to be of the same opinion.
+There was very little more said between us during the walk, and when
+we reached the hotel at seven or half-past seven o'clock, I merely
+remarked that I would go in and wish her father and mother good-bye.
+"I suppose you will drink tea with us," said Sophonisba, and to this I
+assented.
+
+I went into my own room, and put all my things into my portmanteau,
+for according to the custom, which is invariable in Italy when an
+early start is premeditated, the Boots was imperative in his demand
+that the luggage should be ready over night.  I then went to the
+Greene's sitting-room, and found that the whole party was now aware of
+my intentions.
+
+"So you are going to desert us," said Mrs. Greene.
+
+"I must go on upon my journey," I pleaded in a weak apologetic voice.
+
+"Go on upon your journey, sir!" said Mrs. Greene.  "I would not for a
+moment have you put yourself to inconvenience on our account."  And
+yet I had already lost fourteen napoleons, and given up all prospect
+of going to Venice!
+
+"Mr. Robinson is certainly right not to break his engagement with Miss
+Walker," said Sophonisba.  Now I had said not a word about an
+engagement with Miss Walker, having only mentioned incidentally that
+she would be one of the party at Innspruck.  "But," continued she, "I
+think he should not have misled us."  And in this way we enjoyed our
+evening meal.
+
+I was just about to shake hands with them all, previous to my final
+departure from their presence, when the Boots came into the room.
+
+"I'll leave the portmanteau till to-morrow morning," said he.
+
+"All right," said I.
+
+"Because," said he, "there will be such a crowd of things in the hall.
+The big trunk I will take away now."
+
+"Big trunk,--what big trunk?"
+
+"The trunk with your rug over it, on which your portmanteau stood."
+
+I looked round at Mr., Mrs., and Miss Greene, and saw that they were
+all looking at me.  I looked round at them, and as their eyes met mine
+I felt that I turned as red as fire.  I immediately jumped up and
+rushed away to my own room, hearing as I went that all their steps
+were following me.  I rushed to the inner recess, pulled down the
+portmanteau, which still remained in its old place, tore away my own
+carpet rug which covered the support beneath it, and there saw--a
+white canvas-covered box, with a hole in the canvas on the side next
+to me!
+
+"It is my box," said Mrs. Greene, pushing me away, as she hurried up
+and put her finger within the rent.
+
+"It certainly does look like it," said Mr. Greene, peering over his
+wife's shoulder.
+
+"There's no doubt about the box," said Sophonisba.
+
+"Not the least in life," said I, trying to assume an indifferent look.
+
+"Mon Dieu!" said the Boots.
+
+"Corpo di Baccho!" exclaimed the landlord, who had now joined the
+party.
+
+"Oh--h--h--h--!" screamed Mrs. Greene, and then she threw herself hack
+on to my bed, and shrieked hysterically.
+
+There was no doubt whatsoever about the fact.  There was the lost box,
+and there it had been during all those tedious hours of unavailing
+search.  While I was suffering all that fatigue in Milan, spending my
+precious zwanzigers in driving about from one hotel to another, the
+box had been safe, standing in my own room at Bellaggio, hidden by my
+own rug.  And now that it was found everybody looked at me as though
+it were all my fault.
+
+Mrs. Greene's eyes, when she had done being hysterical, were terrible,
+and Sophonisba looked at me as though I were a convicted thief.
+
+ "Who put the box here?" I said, turning fiercely upon the Boots.
+
+"I did," said the Boots, "by Monsieur's express order."
+
+"By my order?" I exclaimed.
+
+"Certainly," said the Boots.
+
+"Corpo di Baccho!" said the landlord, and he also looked at me as
+though I were a thief.  In the mean time the landlady and the three
+daughters had clustered round Mrs. Greene, administering to her all
+manner of Italian consolation.  The box, and the money, and the jewels
+were after all a reality; and much incivility can be forgiven to a
+lady who has really lost her jewels, and has really found them again.
+
+There and then there arose a hurly-burly among us as to the manner in
+which the odious trunk found its way into my room.  Had anybody been
+just enough to consider the matter coolly, it must have been quite
+clear that I could not have ordered it there.  When I entered the
+hotel, the boxes were already being lugged about, and I had spoken a
+word to no one concerning them.  That traitorous Boots had done it,--
+no doubt without malice prepense; but he had done it; and now that the
+Greenes were once more known as moneyed people, he turned upon me, and
+told me to my face, that I had desired that box to be taken to my own
+room as part of my own luggage!
+
+"My dear," said Mr. Greene, turning to his wife, "you should never
+mention the contents of your luggage to any one."
+
+"I never will again," said Mrs. Greene, with a mock repentant air,
+"but I really thought--"
+
+"One never can be sure of sharpers," said Mr. Greene.
+
+"That's true," said Mrs. Greene.
+
+"After all, it may have been accidental," said Sophonisba, on hearing
+which good-natured surmise both papa and mamma Greene shook their
+suspicious heads.
+
+I was resolved to say nothing then.  It was all but impossible that
+they should really think that I had intended to steal their box; nor,
+if they did think so, would it have become me to vindicate myself
+before the landlord and all his servants.  I stood by therefore in
+silence, while two of the men raised the trunk, and joined the
+procession which followed it as it was carried out of my room into
+that of the legitimate owner.  Everybody in the house was there by
+that time, and Mrs. Greene, enjoying the triumph, by no means grudged
+them the entrance into her sitting-room.  She had felt that she was
+suspected, and now she was determined that the world of Bellaggio
+should know how much she was above suspicion.  The box was put down
+upon two chairs, the supporters who had borne it retiring a pace each.
+Mrs. Greene then advanced proudly with the selected key, and Mr.
+Greene stood by at her right shoulder, ready to receive his portion of
+the hidden treasure.  Sophonisba was now indifferent, and threw
+herself on the sofa, while I walked up and down the room
+thoughtfully,--meditating what words I should say when I took my last
+farewell of the Greenes.  But as I walked I could see what occurred.
+Mrs. Greene opened the box, and displayed to view the ample folds of a
+huge yellow woollen dressing-down.  I could fancy that she would not
+willingly have exhibited this article of her toilet, had she not felt
+that its existence would speedily be merged in the presence of the
+glories which were to follow.  This had merely been the padding at the
+top of the box.  Under that lay a long papier-mache case, and in that
+were all her treasures.  "Ah, they are safe," she said, opening the
+lid and looking upon her tawdry pearls and carbuncles.
+
+Mr. Greene, in the mean time, well knowing the passage for his hand,
+had dived down to the very bottom of the box, and seized hold of a
+small canvas bag.  "It is here," said he, dragging it up, "and as far
+as I can tell, as yet, the knot has not been untied."  Whereupon he
+sat himself down by Sophonisba, and employing her to assist him in
+holding them, began to count his rolls.  "They are all right," said
+he; and he wiped the perspiration from his brow.
+
+I had not yet made up my mind in what manner I might best utter my
+last words among them so as to maintain the dignity of my character,
+and now I was standing over against Mr. Greene with my arms folded on
+my breast.  I had on my face a frown of displeasure, which I am able
+to assume upon occasions, but I had not yet determined what words I
+would use.  After all, perhaps, it might be as well that I should
+leave them without any last words.
+
+"Greene, my dear," said the lady, "pay the gentleman his ten
+napoleons."
+
+"Oh yes, certainly;" whereupon Mr. Greene undid one of the rolls and
+extracted eight sovereigns.  "I believe that will make it right, sir,"
+said he, handing them to me.
+
+I took the gold, slipped it with an indifferent air into my waistcoat
+pocket, and then refolded my arms across my breast.
+
+"Papa," said Sophonisba, in a very audible whisper, "Mr. Robinson went
+for you to Como.  Indeed, I believe he says he went to Milan."
+
+"Do not let that be mentioned," said I.
+
+"By all means pay him his expenses," said Mrs. Greene; "I would not
+owe him anything for worlds."
+
+"He should be paid," said Sophonisba.
+
+"Oh, certainly," said Mr. Greene.  And he at once extracted another
+sovereign, and tendered it to me in the face of the assembled
+multitude.
+
+This was too much!  "Mr. Greene," said I, "I intended to be of service
+to you when I went to Milan, and you are very welcome to the benefit
+of my intentions.  The expense of that journey, whatever may be its
+amount, is my own affair."  And I remained standing with my closed
+arms.
+
+"We will be under no obligation to him," said Mrs. Greene; "and I
+shall insist on his taking the money."
+
+"The servant will put it on his dressing-table," said Sophonisba.  And
+she handed the sovereign to the Boots, giving him instructions.
+
+"Keep it yourself, Antonio," I said.  Whereupon the man chucked it to
+the ceiling with his thumb, caught it as it fell, and with a well-
+satisfied air, dropped it into the recesses of his pocket.  The air of
+the Greenes was also well satisfied, for they felt that they had paid
+me in full for all my services.
+
+And now, with many obsequious bows and assurances of deep respect, the
+landlord and his family withdrew from the room.  "Was there anything
+else they could do for Mrs. Greene?"  Mrs. Greene was all affability.
+She had shown her jewels to the girls, and allowed them to express
+their admiration in pretty Italian superlatives.  There was nothing
+else she wanted to-night.  She was very happy and liked Bellaggio.
+She would stay yet a week, and would make herself quite happy.  And,
+though none of them understood a word that the other said, each
+understood that things were now rose-coloured, and so with scrapings,
+bows, and grinning smiles, the landlord and all his myrmidons
+withdrew.  Mr. Greene was still counting his money, sovereign by
+sovereign, and I was still standing with my folded arms upon my bosom.
+
+"I believe I may now go," said I.
+
+"Good night," said Mrs. Greene.
+
+"Adieu," said Sophonisba.
+
+"I have the pleasure of wishing you good-bye," said Mr. Greene.
+
+And then I walked out of the room.  After all, what was the use of
+saying anything?  And what could I say that would have done me any
+service?  If they were capable of thinking me a thief,--which they
+certainly did,--nothing that I could say would remove the impression.
+Nor, as I thought, was it suitable that I should defend myself from
+such an imputation.  What were the Greenes to me?  So I walked slowly
+out of the room, and never again saw one of the family from that day
+to this.
+
+As I stood upon the beach the next morning, while my portmanteau was
+being handed into the boat, I gave the Boots five zwanzigers.  I was
+determined to show him that I did not condescend to feel anger against
+him.
+
+He took the money, looked into my face, and then whispered to me, "Why
+did you not give me a word of notice beforehand?" he said, and winked
+his eye.  He was evidently a thief, and took me to be another;--but
+what did it matter?
+
+I went thence to Milan, in which city I had no heart to look at
+anything; thence to Verona, and so over the pass of the Brenner to
+Innspruck.  When I once found myself near to my dear friends the
+Walkers I was again a happy man; and I may safely declare that, though
+a portion of my journey was so troublesome and unfortunate, I look
+back upon that tour as the happiest and the luckiest epoch of my life.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg eText The Man Who Kept his Money in a Box
+
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