“Here, Tom, my boy?”
“Yes, gov’nor, here, in Naples.”
“But—but don’t you think we had better go on at once?”
“What with you so tired?” said Tom with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I—I don’t think I’m quite so tired as I was, Tom, my boy,” said the old man nervously. “After a glass of wine or two, I—I think I could manage to go on again.”
“But don’t you understand? The mater is coming here with Tryphie and Justine.”
“Then—then I think we had better get on, Tom, my boy—away from here. Her ladyship would hinder us, and stop us from finding Maude. Let’s go on to Rome or Constantinople, only let’s be off at once.”
Tom laughed silently.
“No, father,” he said, “I think we’ll go no further. I’m going to have a thorough good look round, and from hints I have heard, I think we are once more on their track; but if they are not here we’ll go back home, for I’m sick of all this journeying. Poor girl, she has chosen her lot.”
“Yes—yes, Tom, my boy,” said the old man dolefully.