The captain, who thought himself a wag but who forgot every morning what
he had wagged about the day before, would say for his daily greeting, "Wie
[as the Germans say] befinden sie sich?" He thought the pun on sea-sick
was awfully funny, and would laugh uproariously. He said to Mr. Palmer,
"Why are you not like a melon?" We all guessed. One person said, "Because
he was not meloncholic [Aulick]." But all the guesses were wrong. "No,"
said the captain, "it is because the melon can't elope, and you can." He
thought himself very funny, and was rather put out that we did not think
him so, and went on repeating the joke to every one on the boat _ad
nauseam_.


LONDON, _1859._

DEAREST A.,--We arrived here, as we intended, on the 27th.... We easily
found Garcia's address, and drove there without delay. I was very anxious
to see the "greatest singing master in the world," and there he was
standing before me, looking very much as I had imagined him; but not like
any one I had ever seen before. He has grayish hair and a black mustache,
expressive big eyes, and such a fascinating smile! Mama said, having heard
of his great reputation, she wished that he would consent to give me a
_few_ lessons. He smiled, and answered that, if I would kindly sing
something for him, he could better judge how much teaching I required. I
replied--I was so sure of myself--that, if he would accompany "Qui la
voce," I would sing that. "Ha, ha!" he cried, with a certain sarcasm. "By
all means let us have that," and sat down before the piano while I spread
out the music before him. I sang, and thought I sang very well; but he
just looked up into my face with a very quizzical expression, and said,
"How long have you been singing, Mademoiselle?" Mama answered for me