so
hopeless.

In his own travels he had himself experienced that sense of loneliness
which is a decided misery, and had met others afflicted with it. From
the manner of Clyde, he concluded he had an attack of it, and he
desired to alleviate his sufferings; but if the young man's friends
were coming that night, his case could not be desperate.

"No, sir; I don't know that you can. I thought, as your room is next
to mine, we might make it jolly for each other. You are an American,
sir, the waiter says."

"Yes, I am," laughed Paul.

"But you don't talk through the nose."

"Don't I? Well, I don't perceive that you do, either."

"I'm not a Jonathan," protested Clyde. "I dare say you are a fine
gentleman, but I can't say that of all the Americans."

"Can't you? Well, I'm sorry for them. Can you say it of all the
Englishmen?"

"Yes, sir; I think I can of all we meet travelling. The Americans are
big bullies. I settled accounts with one of them this very day,"
chuckled Clyde.

"Ah! did you, indeed?"

"I think some of them know what it is to bully and insult an
Englishman by this time," added Clyde, rubbing his hands, as he
thought of poor Peaks, floundering in the waters of the Fjord.
"Perhaps you've heard of that American Academy ship that came into
Christiania to-day."

"Yes, I have heard of her," answered Paul, curiously.

"I saw her first at Christiansand, and went on board of her with my
mother and sister. I liked the looks of her, and fancied the young
chaps on board of her were having a nice time. I wanted to ship in
her, and I did so; but I was never among such a set of tyrants in the
whole course of my life."

"Then you joined the ship," replied Paul, who had heard of the new
addition to the Young America's crew, but had not seen him.

"I'm blamed if I didn't; but before my mother left the ship, a big
bully of a boatswain insulted me, and I changed my mind. Yet the head
master persuaded my mother to let him keep me in the ship, and I'm
blamed if she didn't leave me there."

"Left you there," added Paul, when Clyde paused, apparently to give
his auditor the opportunity to express his sympathy for his
unfortunate situation.

"Yes, sir; she left me there, and she won't hear the last of it for
one year," replied Clyde, shaking his head. "It was a mean trick, and
I'll pay her for it."

"Probably she did it for the best," suggested Paul, disgusted with the
assurance, and especially with the want of r