The Man Who Kept His Money In A Box | Page 9

"seeing that it contains so
much that is valuable."

"Why did she bring them?" said Sophonisba. "She managed to live very
well without jewels till papa married her, about a year since; and now
she can't travel about for a month without lugging them with her
everywhere. I should be so glad if some one would steal them."
"But all Mr. Greene's money is there also."
"I don't want papa to be bothered, but I declare I wish the box might be
lost for a day or so. She is such a fool; don't you think so, Mr.
Robinson?"
At this time it was just fourteen hours since I first had made their
acquaintance in the yard of Conradi's hotel, and of those fourteen hours
more than half had been passed in bed. I must confess that I looked
upon Sophonisba as being almost more indiscreet than her
mother-in-law. Nevertheless, she was not stupid, and I continued my
conversation with her the greatest part of the way down the lake
towards Bellaggio.
These steamers which run up and down the lake of Como and the Lago
Maggiore, put out their passengers at the towns on the banks of the
water by means of small rowing-boats, and the persons who are about
to disembark generally have their own articles ready to their hands
when their turn comes for leaving the steamer. As we came near to
Bellaggio, I looked up my own portmanteau, and, pointing to the
beautiful wood-covered hill that stands at the fork of the waters, told
my friend Greene that he was near his destination. "I am very glad to
hear it," said he, complacently, but he did not at the moment busy
himself about the boxes. Then the small boat ran up alongside the
steamer, and the passengers for Como and Milan crowded up the side.
"We have to go in that boat," I said to Greene.
"Nonsense!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, but we have."
"What! put our boxes into that boat," said Mrs. Greene. "Oh dear! Here,
boatman! there are seven of these boxes, all in white like this," and she
pointed to the one that had the hole in the canvas. "Make haste. And
there are two bags, and my dressing case, and Mr. Greene's
portmanteau. Mr. Greene, where is your portmanteau?"
The boatman whom she addressed, no doubt did not understand a word
of English, but nevertheless he knew what she meant, and, being well
accustomed to the work, got all the luggage together in an incredibly

small number of moments.
"If you will get down into the boat," I said, "I will see that the luggage
follows you before I leave the deck."
"I won't stir," she said, "till I see that box lifted down. Take care; you'll
let it fall into the lake. I know you will."
"I wish they would," Sophonisba whispered into my ear.
Mr. Greene said nothing, but I could see that his eyes were as anxiously
fixed on what was going on as were those of his wife. At last, however,
the three Greens were in the boat, as also were all the packages. Then I
followed them, my portmanteau having gone down before me, and we
pushed off for Bellaggio. Up to this period most of the attendants
around us had understood a word or two of English, but now it would
be well if we could find some one to whose ears French would not be
unfamiliar. As regarded Mr. Greene and his wife, they, I found, must
give up all conversation, as they knew nothing of any language but
their own. Sophonisba could make herself understood in French, and
was quite at home, as she assured me, in German. And then the boat
was beached on the shore at Bellaggio, and we all had to go again to
work with the object of getting ourselves lodged at the hotel which
overlooks the water.
I had learned before that the Greenes were quite free from any trouble
in this respect, for their rooms had been taken for them before they left
England. Trusting to this, Mrs. Greene gave herself no inconsiderable
airs the moment her foot was on the shore, and ordered the people
about as though she were the Lady Paramount of Bellaggio. Italians,
however, are used to this from travellers of a certain description. They
never resent such conduct, but simply put it down in the bill with the
other articles. Mrs. Greene's words on this occasion were innocent
enough, seeing that they were English; but had I been that head waiter
who came down to the beach with his nice black shiny hair, and his
napkin under his arm, I should have thought her manner very insolent.
Indeed, as it was, I did think so, and