and that he is going to spend the night at the
Hotel d'Amerique with his uncle. Do not tell him where I have gone, nor
that you are coming after me. His uncle will tell him all to-morrow
morning."

In the mean time, while these occurrences had been taking place at the
hotel, Copley and his companion had been sailing down the river on board
the little steamboat. They had, on the whole, a pretty pleasant time,
though they were somewhat disappointed in the scenery on the banks of
the river. The country was perfectly bare of trees, and destitute of all
cultivation. There were no villages, and scarcely a human habitation to
be seen. The boys, however, met with no trouble, and returned safely
home about four o'clock.

Copley found Thomas waiting for him at the hotel door.

"Mr. Copley," said Thomas, as Copley advanced towards the door, "your
brother has gone out of town, and will not be back to-night, and I was
to wait here for you, and tell you that you were to go and spend the
night at your uncle's apartment at the Hotel d'Amerique."

"Good!" said Copley. He felt quite relieved to find that his brother had
gone away, as he thus escaped the danger of being called to account for
his misdemeanor.

"Where has he gone?" asked Copley.

"I can't say," said Thomas; "but perhaps your uncle can tell you."

By the phrase "I can't say," Thomas secretly meant that he was not at
liberty to say, though Copley understood him to mean that he did not
know.

"Very well," said Copley; "I don't care where he has gone. It makes no
difference to me."

Copley found that it did make some difference to him, when he learned,
the next morning, that his brother had set out on his journey to the
north of Italy, and to Switzerland, and had left him behind to return
home at once with his uncle by sea. His uncle did not tell him that
night where his brother had gone, for fear that Copley might make some
difficulty, by insisting on going on after him in the diligence with
Thomas. Accordingly, when Copley asked the question, his uncle only
answered vaguely, that his brother had gone out somewhere into the
environs of Rome. The next morning, however, he handed Copley a note
which his brother had left for him, which note Copley, on opening it,
found to be as follows:--

"WEDNESDAY MORNING.

"DEAR COPLEY: I have concluded to set out this afternoon on my journey
north. I am sorry that you are no