Captain Cannon and Mr. Twinkle went back to England after the famous buffalo-hunt, feeling themselves insulted by the trick which had been played upon them.
Jack, Harvey and Professor Mole remained at the hotel.
It may readily be imagined that Jack was in no enviable frame of mind.
Alfred Van Hoosen was his friend and wished him to marry his sister, but Lena had promised to espouse Lord Maltravers, and so great was the mother's influence that the day was already fixed.
Jack expected every day that Alfred would come to him and propose some plan by means of which the celebration of the marriage could be prevented.
He waited in vain and fumed and fretted until he grew ill and pale.
Little did he know that at the same time Lord Maltravers was as uneasy as he was himself.
He knew nothing about the dangerous condition of the villain Bambino, and that Maltravers was standing, as it were, on a volcano which might at any time erupt and scatter all his fond ideas to the winds, dash his happiness to atoms and shatter the idol which he had set up for himself to worship.
If Bambino recovered sufficiently to speak, then all hope of a union with Lena Van Hoosen was at an end.
While affairs were in this condition, Mr. Mole made the acquaintance of a young man who was living with his parents in the hotel.