Международный эпизод
Part I
Bybedtime—intheirimpatiencetotasteofaterrestrialcouchagainourseafarerswenttobedearly—itwasstillinsufferablyhot,andthebuzzofthemosquitoesattheopenwindowsmighthavepassedforanaudiblecrepitationofthetemperature.“Wecan’tstandthis,youknow,”theyoungEnglishmensaidtoeachother;andtheytossedaboutallnightmoreboisterouslythantheyhadtossedupontheAtlanticbillows.Onthemorrow,theirfirstthoughtwasthattheywouldre-embarkthatdayforEngland;andthenitoccuredtothemthattheymightfindanasylumnearerathand.ThecaveofAeolusbecametheiridealofcomfort,andtheywonderedwheretheAmericanswentwhentheywishedtocooloff.Theyhadnottheleastidea,andtheydeterminedtoapplyforinformationtoMr.J.L.Westgate.Thiswasthenameinscribedinaboldhandonthebackofalettercarefullypreservedinthepocketbookofourjuniortraveler.Beneaththeaddress,intheleft-handcorneroftheenvelope,werethewords,“IntroducingLordLambethandPercyBeaumont,Esq.”TheletterhadbeengiventothetwoEnglishmenbyagoodfriendoftheirsinLondon,whohadbeeninAmericatwoyearspreviously,andhadsingledoutMr.J.L.Westgatefromthemanyfriendshehadleftthereastheconsignee,asitwere,ofhiscompatriots.“Heisacapitalfellow,”theEnglishmaninLondonhadsaid,“andhehasgotanawfullyprettywife.He’stremendouslyhospitable—hewilldoeverythingintheworldforyou;andasheknowseveryoneoverthere,itisquiteneedlessIshouldgiveyouanyotherintroduction.
