t one sees almost every day here," said
he, jeeringly: "that '_canaille_' of Pellagino have taken people out to
the steamer, and would not wait to bring them back again; and now, they
must go to Como, whether they will or no."

This explanation seemed the correct one, and appeared to be corroborated
by the attitude of the party on shore, for there stood the phaeton,
still waiting, although all chance of the others' returning was totally
by-gone. Concluding that, Sir Gordon thus carried off without his will,
his servants might possibly need some advice or counsel--for I knew they
were all English, except the Courier--I hastened down to the jetty,
to offer them such aid as I possessed. As I came nearer, I was more
convinced that my suspicions were correct. About thirty ragged and
not over-prepossessing-looking individuals were assembled around the
phaeton; some busily pressing the groom, who stood at the horses' heads,
with questions he could not answer; and others imploring charity with
all that servile tone and gesture your Italian beggar is master of.
Making my way through this assemblage, I accosted the groom, who knew me
to be an acquaintance of his master's, and instead of replying to me, at
once cried out,--"Oh, Miss Lucy, here is Mr. Templeton! You need not be
afraid, now." I turned at once, and instead of a lady's-maid, as I had
believed the figure to be, beheld a very lovely but delicate-looking
girl, who with an expression of considerable anxiety in her features,
was still following the track of the departing steam-boat. At the
mention of my name she looked hurriedly around, and a deep blush covered
her face as she said,--

"I am so happy to see Mr. Templeton! Perhaps he will forgive me if I
make the first moment of our acquaintance the burden of a request?" And
then, in a very few words, she told me how her Grandfather, having gone
on board the steamer to give some particular orders and directions about
his baggage, was unwillingly carried off, leaving her with only a groom,
who could speak no language but his own. She went on to say, that they
had taken the Villa Cimarosa on the lake, and were then proceeding
thither by Lecco, when this _mesaventure_ occurred.

"I now must ask Mr. Templeton's counsel how to act--whether to return to
the inn at Varenna, and wait there till I can hear from my Grandfather,
or venture on to Como with the carriage?"

"If you will take my carriage, Miss Howard, it will be here i