Strange to say, I had all these, besides many other things of a similar kind, and I could not help admitting it.

“Well,” said Baxter, “you’d better get rid of the most of that as soon as you can, for if you travel with that sort of heavy weight in the Mediterranean countries, you might as well write home and get your house mortgaged.  All along the lines of travel, in the south of Europe, you find the hotels piled up with American baggage left there by travellers, who’ll never send for it.  It reminds one of the rows of ox skeletons that used to mark out the roads to California.  But I guess you’ll be able to stick it out.  Good bye.  Let me hear from you.”

When Baxter left us, we could not but feel a little down-hearted, and Euphemia turned to her guide-book to see if his remarks were corroborated there.

“Well, there is one comfort,” she exclaimed at last; “this book says that in Naples epidemics are not so deadly as they are in some other places, and if the traveller observes about a page of directions, which are given here, and consults a physician the moment he feels himself out of order, it is quite possible to ward off attacks of fever.  That is encouraging, and I think we might as well go on.”

“Yes,” said I, “and here, in this newspaper, a hotel in Venice advertises that its situation enables it to avoid the odors of the Grand Canal; and an undertaker in Nice advertises that he will forward the corpses of tourists to all parts of Europe and America.  I think there is a chance of our getting back, either dead or alive, and so I also say, let us go on.”

But before we left Paris, we determined to go to the Grand Opera, which we had not yet visited, and Euphemia proposed that we should take Pomona with us.  The poor girl was looking wretched and woe-begone, and needed to have her mind diverted from her trouble.  Jonas, at the best of times, could not be persuaded to any amusement of this sort, but Pomona agreed to go.  We had no idea of dressing for the boxes, and we took good front seats in the upper circle, where we could see the whole interior of the splendid house.  As soon as the performance commenced, the old dramatic fire began to burn in Pomona.  Her eyes sparkled as they had not done for many a day, and she really looked like her own bright self.  The opera was “Le Prophete,” and, as none of us had ever seen anything produced on so magnificent a scale, we were greatly interested, especially in the act which opens with that wonderful winter scene in the forest, with hundreds of people scattered about under the great trees, with horses and sleighs and the frozen river in the background where the skaters came gliding on.  The grouping was picturesque and artistic; the scale of the scene was immense; there was a vast concourse of people on the stage; the dances were beautiful; the merry skaters graceful; the music was inspiring.

Suddenly, above the voices of the chorus, above the drums and bass strings of the orchestra, above the highest notes of the sopranos, above the great chandelier itself, came two notes distinct and plain, and the words to which they were set, were:—­