elieve
the padrone very much."

He hurried away again, and an uneasy silence fell upon the nieces.

"Do you care for this young man. Louise?" asked Beth, pointedly, after
the pause had become awkward.

"He is very attentive and gentlemanly, and I feel you have all wronged
him by your unjust suspicions," she replied, with spirit.

"That does not answer my question, dear," persisted her cousin. "Are you
especially fond of him?"

"What right have you to question me in this way, Beth?"

"No right at all, dear. I am only trying to figure out our doubtful
position in regard to this young man--a stranger to all of us but you."

"It is really none of our business," observed Patsy, quickly. "We're
just a lot of gossips to be figuring on Count Ferralti at all. And
although this sudden disappearance looks queer, on the face of it, the
gentleman may simply have changed his boarding place."

"I do not think so," said Louise. "He liked this hotel very much."

"And he may have liked some of its guests," added Patsy, smiling. "Well,
Uncle John will soon be back, and then we will talk it over with him."

Uncle John was late. The portiere returned first. He had been to every
hotel in the little town, but none of them had received a guest since
the afternoon train of yesterday. Count Ferralti had disappeared as if
by magic, and no one could account for it.

Noon arrived, but no Uncle John. The girls became dispirited and
anxious, for the little man was usually very prompt in keeping his
engagements, and always had returned at the set time.

They waited until the last moment and then entered the _salle a manger_
and ate their luncheon in gloomy silence, hoping every moment to hear
the sound of their uncle's familiar tread.

After luncheon they held a hurried consultation and decided to go into
town and search for him. So away they trooped, asking eager questions
in their uncertain Italian but receiving no satisfactory reply until
they reached the little office of the tax gatherer at the Catania Gate.

"_Ah, si, signorini mia_," he answered, cheerfully, "_il poco signore
passato da stamattini._"

But he had not returned?

Not yet.

They looked at one another blankly.

"See here," said Patsy; "Uncle John must have lost his way or met with
an accident. You go back to the hotel, Louise, and wait there in case he
returns home another way. Beth and I will follow some of these paths and
see if we can find him."

"He may ha