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Main > Fairy tale > All authors > Frank Baum > Fairy tale "Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad"

Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad

In spite of her uncle's discovery of the false position assumed by this

young man, Louise seemed to like his attentions and to approve his

evident admiration for her. His ways might be affected and effeminate

and his conversational powers indifferent; but his bandaged wrist was a

constant reminder to all the nieces that he possessed courage and ready

wit, and it was but natural that he became more interesting to them

because just now he was to an extent helpless, and his crippled hand had

been acquired in their service.

Uncle John watched the young fellow shrewdly, but could discover little

harm in him except his attempt to deceive them in regard to his name and

position. Yet in his mature eyes there was not much about Ferralti to

arouse admiration, and the little man considered his girls too sensible

to be greatly impressed by this youthful Italian's personality. So he

allowed him to sit with his nieces in the gardens as much as he

pleased, believing it would be ungrateful to deprive the count of that

harmless recreation.

"A reg'lar chaperone might think differently," he reflected; "but thank

goodness there are no dragons swimming in our cup of happiness."

One day they devoted to Capri and the Blue Grotto, and afterward they

lunched at the Quisisana and passed the afternoon in the town. But the

charms of Sorrento were too great for Capri to win their allegiance, and

they were glad to get back to their quaint town and delightful gardens

again.

The week passed all too swiftly, and then came a letter from Colonel

Angeli telling them to return to Naples and witness the results of the

eruption. This they decided to do, and bidding good-bye to Signor

Floriano and his excellent hotel they steamed across the bay and found

the "Vesuve" a vastly different hostelry from the dismal place they had

left in their flight from Naples. It was now teeming with life, for, all

danger being past, the tourists had flocked to the city in droves. The

town was still covered with ashes, but under the brilliant sunshine it

did not look as gloomy as one might imagine, and already thousands of

carts were busily gathering the dust from the streets and dumping it in

the waters of the bay.

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