e had ever heard, and with whom he had been
acquainted; and, before he slept, wondered, for the fiftieth time, what
Ferrers he was.

CHAPTER IV.

_Mr. Ferrers Dines with the Consul_

THE next morning, Mr. Ferrers sent his portfolio to Miss Ponsonby,
to the Consuls house, in the city; and her father called upon him
immediately afterwards, to return his original visit, and to request him
to dine with them. Mr. Ferrers declined the invitation; but begged to be
permitted to pay his respects again at the casino, in the evening. The
major, under the circumstances, ventured to press his new acquaintance
to comply with their desire; but Mr. Ferrers became immediately very
reserved, and the Consul desisted.

Towards sunset, however, mounted on his Barbary ass, Mr. Ferrers again
appeared at the gate of the casino, as mild and agreeable as before.
They drank their coffee and ate their fruit, chatted and sang, and
again repaired to the pavilion. Here they examined the contents of the
portfolio:--they were very rich, for it contained drawings of all
kinds, and almost of every celebrated place in the vicinity of the
Mediterranean shores; Saracenic palaces, Egyptian temples, mosques of
Damascus, and fountains of Stamboul. Here was a Bedouin encampment,
shaded by a grove of palms; and there a Spanish Senorita, shrouded in
her mantilla, glided along the Alameda. There was one circumstance,
however, about these drawings, which struck Miss Ponsonby as at least
remarkable. It was obvious that some pencil-mark in the corner of each
drawing, in all probability containing the name and initials of the
artist, had been carefully obliterated.

Among the drawings were several sketches of a yacht, which Mr. Ferrers
passed over quickly, and without notice. The Consul, however, who was an
honorary member of the yacht club, and interested in every vessel of the
squadron that visited the Mediterranean, very naturally inquired of Mr.
Ferrers, to whom the schooner in question belonged. Mr. Ferrers seemed
rather confused; but at length he said: 'Oh, they are stupid things: I
did not know they were here. The yacht is a yacht of a friend of mine,
who was at Cadiz.'

'Oh, I see the name,' said the major; '"_The Kraken_." Why, that is Lord
Bohun's yacht!'

'The same,' said Mr. Ferrers, but perfectly composed.

'Ah! do you know Lord Bohun?' said Miss Ponsonby. 'We have often
expected him here. I wonder he has never paid us a visit, papa.