me such pleasure that I must thank you."

I bowed again, and turned to go away; but my foot slipped upon a
melon-rind, and I should certainly have embraced the Parthenopean
soil had not the young lady put out her hand and caught me.

There is a force in circumstances--even in the very smallest
circumstances--against which resistance is vain. I resigned myself
to remain the protege of the fair unknown.

"It is late," she said; "do you not wish to go back to your hotel,
which must be quite close to ours--unless it be the same one?"

"Madame," I replied, "I do not know what time it is, because
somebody has stolen my watch; but I think, as you say, that it must
be time to retire; and I shall be very glad to regain my hotel in
the company of such courteous compatriots."

So saying, I bowed once more to the young lady, and also saluted
her companion, a silent colossus with a gentle and melancholy face.

After having gone a little way with them, I learned, among other
matters, that my new acquaintances were the Prince and Princess
Trepof, and that they were making a trip round the world for the
purpose of finding match-boxes, of which they were making a
collection.

We proceeded along a narrow, tortuous vicoletto, lighted only by
a single lamp burning in the niche of a Madonna. The purity and
transparency of the air gave a celestial softness and clearness to