CHAPTER XV.
"The thing that struck me on our drive to the hotel," remarked momma, "was that Naples was almost entirely inhabited by the lower classes." "That is very noticeable indeed," concurred Mr.Mafferton, who was also there for the first time.

"The people of the place are no doubt in the country at this time of the year, but one would naturally expect to see more respectable persons about." "Now you'll excuse me, Mafferton," said the Senator, "but that's just one of those places where I lose the trail of the English language as used by the original inventors.

Where do you draw the line of distinction between people and persons ?" "It's a mere Briticism, poppa," I observed.

Mr.Mafferton loathed being obliged to defend his native tongue at any point.

That very morning the _modus vivendi_ between us, that I had done so much for Dicky's sake to establish, had been imperilled by my foolish determination to know why all Englishmen pronounced "white" "wite." "I daresay," said poppa gloomily, "but I am not on to it and I don't suppose I ever shall be.