“No,—not better,” said Patty, slowly, “but you see I didn’t expect to like it at all, and so it’s such a surprise.”
“Well, run and put on a fresh frock for tea, and then you can rhapsodise, while I refresh myself with tea-cakes.”
“I’m hungry too,” said Patty, “but then I always am.” She flew away to dress, and soon the family sat in the glass-protected tea-room, enjoying strange little Neapolitan cakes, that all declared the best in the world.
After tea, Mr. Fairfield said they would have time for a short drive before dinner. Patty was delighted at this prospect, and skipped away for her hat and cloak. The rickety old cab made her laugh, but as they drove along she saw none better, so decided that they were a style peculiar to Naples.
They visited no museums or palaces, as Mr. Fairfield said it was but a preliminary drive, and they must return for dinner.
So back they went soon, climbing the high hill slowly, though it seemed to Patty not nearly so high nor so steep as the first time they drove up. The long trip up in the elevator was unpleasant to Nan, who feared an accident; but Patty said, “Nonsense! it’s just like the subway up on end; and no danger of meeting another train.”
Dinner was rather a pretentious function in the hotel, so our party donned evening dress, and came down at eight o’clock, to find the gorgeous and brilliantly lighted dining-room well-filled. Lovely strains of music came from an orchestra behind a screen of palms, and the viands were of the best.
“It is a lovely place,” said Nan; “I quite agree with you, Patty, and I’m surprised at it all, too.”
After dinner they strolled about in the various attractive rooms, and Patty thought she’d never tire of the beautiful view of Naples by night, that was spread out below them. The street lights looked like long strings of jewels, and the brightly lighted houses added to the splendour of the scene. On the other side was the bay, misty now, and pierced here and there with the shipping lights.
Long after they had gone to their rooms Patty sat at her window, enthralled with the strange beauty, so different from all else she had seen that it seemed like an enchanted land.