and to ask her if she had had
any news from her husband before he died. By return mail she sent me
word that her husband had written to her from the hospital, where they
had taken him, and said that if he did not get better she was to write
to Greth and Galley's, Lincoln Square, London, for they were the
lawyers who were looking for me. He told her that she was not to take
any steps until she was sure that he was dead.

"We must go to London," said Mattia, when I had finished reading the
letter that the priest had written for her. "If the lawyers are English,
that shows that your parents are English."

"Oh, I'd rather be the same as Lise and the others. But," I added, "if
I'm English I'll be the same as Mrs. Milligan and Arthur."

"I'd rather you were Italian," said Mattia.

In a few minutes our baggage was ready and we were off. It took us eight
days to hike from Paris to Bologne, stopping at the principal towns en
route. When we reached Bologne we had thirty-two francs in our purse. We
took passage on a cargo boat that was going the next day to London. What
a rough journey we had! Poor Mattia declared that he would never go on
the sea again. When at last we were steaming up the Thames I begged him
to get up and see the wonderful sights, but he implored me to let him
alone. At last the engine stopped and the ropes were thrown to the
ground, and we landed in London.

I knew very little English, but Mattia had picked up quite a great deal
from an Englishman who had worked with him at the Gassot Circus. When we
landed he at once asked a policeman to direct us to Lincoln Square. It
seemed to be a very long way. Many times we thought that we had lost
ourselves but again upon making inquiries we found that we were going
in the right direction. Finally we reached Temple Bar and a few steps
further we came to Green Square.

My heart heat so quickly when we stood before the door of Greth and
Galley's office that I had to ask Mattia to wait a moment until I had
recovered myself. After Mattia had stated to the clerk my name and my
business, we were shown at once into the private office of the head of
the firm, Mr. Greth. Fortunately this gentleman spoke French, so I was
able to speak to him myself. He questioned me upon every detail of my
life. My answers evidently convinced him that I was the boy he was
looking for, for he told me that I had a family living in London and
that he would send me to them at once.

"One momen