small number of moments.

"If you will get down into the boat," I said, "I will see that the
luggage follows you before I leave the deck."

"I won't stir," she said, "till I see that box lifted down. Take
care; you'll let it fall into the lake. I know you will."

"I wish they would," Sophonisba whispered into my ear.

Mr. Greene said nothing, but I could see that his eyes were as
anxiously fixed on what was going on as were those of his wife. At
last, however, the three Greens were in the boat, as also were all the
packages. Then I followed them, my portmanteau having gone down
before me, and we pushed off for Bellaggio. Up to this period most of
the attendants around us had understood a word or two of English, but
now it would be well if we could find some one to whose ears French
would not be unfamiliar. As regarded Mr. Greene and his wife, they, I
found, must give up all conversation, as they knew nothing of any
language but their own. Sophonisba could make herself understood in
French, and was quite at home, as she assured me, in German. And then
the boat was beached on the shore at Bellaggio, and we all had to go
again to work with the object of getting ourselves lodged at the hotel
which overlooks the water.

I had learned before that the Greenes were quite free from any trouble
in this respect, for their rooms had been taken for them before they
left England. Trusting to this, Mrs. Greene gave herself no
inconsiderable airs the moment her foot was on the shore, and ordered
the people about as though she were the Lady Paramount of Bellaggio.