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 man?uvres 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.
