Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad
So she turned to Uncle John and said:
"Uncle, dear, to what part of Europe are we going?"
"What part?" he answered. "Why, it tells on the ticket, Patsy. I can't
remember the name just now. It's where the ship stops, of course."
"That is Napoli," said the thin faced man, with a scarcely veiled sneer.
"And then?"
"And then?" repeated Patsy, turning to her Uncle.
"Then? Oh, some confounded place or other that I can't think of. I'm not
a time-table, Patsy; but the trip is all arranged, in beautiful style,
by a friend of mine who has always wanted to go abroad, and so has the
whole programme mapped out in his head."
"Is it in his head yet?" enquired Patsy, anxiously.
"No, dear; it's in the left hand pocket of my blue coat, all written
down clearly. So what's the use of bothering? We aren't there yet. By
and bye we'll get to Eu-rope an' do it up brown. Whatever happens, and
wherever we go, it's got to be a spree and a jolly good time; so take it
easy, Patsy dear, and don't worry."
"That's all right, Uncle," she rejoined, with a laugh. "I'm not worrying
the least mite. But when folks ask us where we're going, what shall we
say?"
"Eu-rope."
"And then?" mischievously.
"And then home again, of course. It's as plain as the nose on your face,
Patsy Doyle, and a good bit straighter."
That made her laugh again, and the strange Italian, who was listening,
growled a word in his native language. He wasn't at all a pleasant
companion, but for that very reason Patsy determined to make him talk
and "be sociable." By degrees he seemed to appreciate her attention, and
always brightened when she came to sit beside him.
"You'll have to tell me your name, you know," she said to him; "because
I can't be calling you 'Sir' every minute."
He glanced nervously around. Then he answered, slowly:
"I am called Valdi--Victor Valdi."
"Oh, that's a pretty name, Mr. Valdi--or should I say Signor?"
"You should."
"Do I pronounce it right?"
"No."
"Well, never mind if I don't; you'll know what I mean, and that I
intend to be proper and polite," she responded, sweetly.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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