My Library

Paris, or Naples, whither I repaired on my way to the Orient. Indeed, in the latter city the subject lay perdu in the cellars of my mind, for I sought to banish all care while in Italy, in order to drink full draughts of music—that balm for fevered souls. “While there, I one night went to San Carlos to hear the opera of the ‘Barber of Seville,’ and to listen to the glorious strains of Mario, Grisi and Gassier. I had been charmed out of all my griefs by the celebrated ‘Music Lesson’ of the latter cantatrice, and as I walked homeward I hummed its notes as I passed along, and it rung in my ears long after I had lain down to sleep. With the peculiar caution of Americans generally, but of Californians especially—whose habits I had imbibed during my short residence within the Golden Gate—before retiring I had carefully examined the room, for Italians, especially Neapolitans, bear watching, to see that all was safe and right. It was so. Then securely fastening both doors and windows, I was soon drifting up and down the Dream Sea. Beneath my pillow was my money belt, in which was about two thousand dollars in gold, which, together with a revolver, loaded to the muzzle, was the property of my friend T——s. “In the morning the room was as when I slept; but the charges were drawn from the pistol, and the gold lay on the table arranged in the form of a triangle, surmounted by the letter ‘R,’ while,