"A few smells, sir?" said I--"it seems to me they are fairly crowding
one another so close there's but little room for any more."
"Oh, isn't there? It strikes me you have never put your nose inside
a Roman osteria on a wet day in July! Until then, my lad, you are
not qualified to speak of smells in the plural. And let me tell both
of you," he went on, after he had finished laughing, "you had best
get your noses into training at once, for if they are going to cock
up at every stink that comes under them you'll be blowing them over
the backs of your heads before long, unless you do like the elephant
and carry them in your trunk." Which we took to be an excellent
jest, the more so as we found by evening he had two hammocks swung
for us on deck near the round-house. The weather was so mild and the
cabins so unbearable that most of the passengers followed our
example, and even in the bow was one solitary old man, who now and
then had to put up with a douse of salt water when the barque clipped
deeper than ordinary.
The next day we made a closer acquaintance with our
fellow-passengers, most of whom were but fearful sailors with but
little stomach for anything off an even keel. In the cabin with us
and Mr. O'Rourke were an Italian Count and his lady, some priests,
and a Spaniard named Don Diego, with whom we soon made friends,
though he was ignorant of both English and French, and had no Gaelic;
but we could get in a Latin word or two, and we laughed much and made
signs for the rest. Mr. O'Rourke we found to be of the same family
as the gallant Major O'Rourke who was killed at Alcoy, in Spain,
under the Count O'Mahony, which I knew of through my Uncle Scottos,
who was an ensign there at the time; this made us fast friends, and I
told him much of the Regiment Irlandia and the Irish Brigade of which
he was ignorant.
But we came near to falling out at the very beginning of our
friendship, which happened in this way. Being that day with Angus up
in the bow of the barque to mark the play of the waves, I was trying
some little French on the old man, who was still crouched there
miserable enough, when up comes Mr. O'Rourke and, without preface or
apology, breaks in upon us, taking no more notice of the poor old man
than if he had been a dog.
"Do you know who you are talking to?" says he, in a loud, hectoring
style of voice, and raps out before I can answer: "This man's a Jew!
A Jew!" he says, and spits on the deck as if he had a bad smell by
him.
"I don't care if he's a camel!" says I, much nettled at his tone.
"No more would I," says he, "for then he'd be where he deserves,
wandering about in the Desert."
"Mr. O'Rourke, when I get to Rome I'll be under a master, but until
then I am answerable to no one save myself, and I'll thank you to
leave me in peace to such company as I may choose," I returned,
making a mighty strong inflection on my words. He moved away,
laughing.
I was only a foolish boy, so his laughing hurt me more than his
anger, and had he taken no notice I dare say I would have thought
little more of the Jew than of any other on board; but now, part from
curiosity--perhaps, too, part from mulishness, of which I had my
share when a boy--but afterwards from a personal feeling, I was kept
nearer the old man than would otherwise have happened.
True, my Uncle Scottos had no great softness for the Jews while in
Spain--no more had he for the priests, for that matter--but this was
the first I had ever fallen in with, and the old man was so
uncomplaining and gentle I felt I was taking his side, and that ended
it. His name was Manuel, and he was a Portugal by nation, but lived
in Leghorn, about which he told me much. As to his business, I cared
but little--as he could not be a gentleman in the nature of things,
his occupation was a matter of indifference to me. So, in spite of
the laughter of many, and Mr. O'Rourke's gibes about my visits to the
"Ghetto," as he called the bow of the barque where the poor old man
was, I never missed a day without a visit to him, and learned much
that was useful to me afterwards.
We now met with some heavy weather, and were so knocked about on the
third day that, as these coasters are not very venturesome, our
captain thought it prudent to put back into Toulon, where we anchored
in the midst of the fleet of the King of France there lying. The
next day we were eager to get on shore, though it was blowing hard,
but were dissuaded by Mr. O'Rourke. However, the Jew and a Cordelier
friar resolved to risk it with a crew of six sailors, who ballasted
the ship's boat with some spare guns; but hardly had they got up sail
before the boat was overset and all were thrown into the water.
The first to lay hold of the boat was the Cordelier, who scrambled up
on the keel, followed by the sailors, who pulled their fellows up one
after another. All this time I was in an agony of fear for the Jew,
who, though he laid hold of the boat, was so old and feeble he could
not draw himself up, and no one so much as stretched out a hand to
his aid. Worse than this, the ship's company and crew screamed with
laughter at each new struggle he made, as if it were the merriest
game in the world. Meantime the unfortunates were fast drifting into
the offing, and would infallibly have been borne out to sea had not a
Spanish zebec made sail and succeeded in overhauling and picking them
up.
Then, though I was shaking with fright, I turned to and thrashed
Angus McDonald for his laughing with the others until he cried mercy.
"A pretty Christian you are to be going to Rome and laughing at a man
as old as my grandfather!" I admonished him, when I had finished.
"Pough!" snorted he, still angry. "Mr. O'Rourke says Jews have no
souls!"
"Indeed?" said I. "Mr. O'Rourke had better be looking after his own,
and make certain of it, before he is so sure about other people."
And off I stalked, mighty indignant and mighty hot against Mr.
O'Rourke, who but laughed merrily at my saying.
However, the next day we made it all up again on his asking me and
Angus to accompany him and Don Diego on shore at his expense; and the
Jew now being out of sight, I could not hold my anger long, while Mr.
O'Rourke mended my pride by telling me I had surprised him in the
handsome outcome of my attack on Angus. Of course Angus and I needed
no making up whatever, for he could generally thrash me twice to my
once.
So, with Mr. O'Rourke and Don Diego, we went on shore and rambled
about merrily enough. In the afternoon we were strolling about in
the Place d'Armes waiting for Mr. O'Rourke and Don Diego off on some
affairs of their own, when a gentleman passed having on the greatest
wig imaginable, most generously powdered. He carried his hat under
his arm and minced in his walk like any madam, holding his long cane
as gingerly as a dancing-master.
Without a word, Angus pulled a handful of nuts from his pocket and
flung them with all his might at the great wig, which gave out a
burst of powder like a gun going off. Round wheeled its owner and
was after us with a roar; but we separated and ran in different ways,
making for the lime-trees along the edge of the Parade.
We dodged round the trees, and the one of us pursued him as he made
after the other; but he would not be dissuaded by this, and kept
after me until, at last, I began to lose my wind, and shouted to
Angus for help, who, however, could do nothing against an angry man
armed with a great cane; and I began to grow anxious in my mind, when
who should come up but our Spaniard, who, seizing the situation, at
once turned the tables completely by a flank attack, and our
Frenchman was soon left lamenting, with his wig up a tree, his cane
broken, and more Spanish oaths ringing in his ears than I dare say he
had ever heard before. It was like my Uncle Scottos swearing.
Off we went post-haste to the port, where, on entering a tavern,
being mindful of my obligations as a gentleman, I ordered and paid
for a bottle of wine for our rescuer, at which he was greatly
pleased, though, like most of his countrymen, he was modest enough in
the use he made of it. The little he did take, however, was
sufficient to warm him up, when, forgetting we did not know a word of
what he was saying, he poured out a long rigmarole to us in Spanish,
which he wound up by whipping out a stiletto--a long, thin dirk much
used in those countries--and gave us to understand he would have
killed the Frenchman with much pleasure. Not content with this show
of friendship, he pulled out a purse, very comfortably filled, and
offered me a part; but I refused with my best manner, and with the
help of my Latin made him know I was sufficiently supplied.
In the midst of all this friendship and wild talk who should discover
us but Mr. O'Rourke, who, on hearing of our adventure, broke out,
"'Pon my soul, but this is a pretty jerrymahoo you two young
barbarians have started up! You're likely to have the peace-officers
down on you before you can say Peter Donovan's prayer; and 'tis proud
your people will be of you, no doubt, to have you beginning your
education under the whip in a French prison, instead of under the
holy fathers in Rome!" And with that he hurried us off in all speed
to a boat, in a white fear of the officers, making us lie down in the
bottom until we reached the ship's side, when we lost no time in
scrambling on board.
We found we were the last passengers ashore, and on Mr. O'Rourke's
relating to the captain our adventure, and the possibility of our
being followed, he had up the anchor even before the moon rose, and
we were on our way towards Leghorn again.
The rest of our time on board went fast enough, for we had nearly as
many friends as there were passengers. Finding I had begun my
education in fencing, Don Diego gave me lessons in the Spanish
method, of which I was not entirely ignorant, and in turn I shewed
him something of the single-stick, wherein he was altogether lacking.
To our surprise, Mr. O'Rourke turned out to have no small skill with
both single-stick and the small-sword--a great waste of education, as
my Uncle Scottos would have said, for a priest.
Mr. O'Rourke now left me to my own devices with Manuel the Jew, for
whom I was more full of pity than ever, as he, poor man! had not got
over the effect of his fright and long exposure in the sea. Not a
soul on board, save myself and Angus, ever gave him a word, unless
when a sailor might curse at him for being in the way.
I was much exercised in my mind that he never seemed to eat
anything--he certainly never went to a meal with the other
passengers--and the only reason I could conceive being poverty, I
proposed to Angus we should help him out of our store, to which he at
once agreed, provided I would do the talking. So one day, when we
were quite alone, after a hard fight with my shamefacedness, I lugged
out my purse and offered him what I thought needed by his occasions.
"Put up your purse, my dear child! Put up your purse! You must
never shew your money to people like that," he said, anxiously; and
then seeing, I suppose, my disappointment, he added, speaking very
slowly, that I might understand: "My child, do not be offended that I
do not take your gold; your gift to me is already made without that,
and in my heart I repeat the words of the Moabitess and ask, 'Why
have I found grace in thine eyes, seeing I am a stranger?'" As he
said this his voice became so broken I looked at him in surprise, and
to my great distress saw the old man was crying. Why, I did not
clearly understand, and he added to my discomposure by catching up my
hand, kissing it, and pressing it to his bosom, repeating something
in the Jews' tongue, and saying much I did not deserve, in French.
So we continued friends, and every day Angus and I sate with him
under the shade of the foresail and listened to his stories of
foreign countries, for he had travelled far and took a pleasure in
telling of the wonders he had seen.
At last we sighted the port of Leghorn (we were not in reality so
many days on board as I may have led you to suppose in my telling,
but the impression left on me is of a long time)--we sighted Leghorn,
I say, with marvellous fine quays filled with much shipping, and the
first craft that passed us was one of the galleys of the Grand Duke,
with its crew of horrid wretches of slaves pulling the long oars with
an even sweep, like one great machine, under the eye and whip of
their captain. Sorry enough were we to put foot on shore, for we
realized every day was bringing us nearer to Rome and the end of the
pleasant life we had been leading.
In company with Mr. O'Rourke we found a respectable lodging near the
Place where the statue of the Grand Duke with the four Turks stands,
and here everything was surprisingly fresh and clean after the ship.
Indeed, the whole town is wonderfully clean and bright, and in that
part called "Little Venice" we loved to stroll, admiring the barges
in the canals, which are there in the middle of the streets, and the
loading and unloading of the great bales of goods.
On the second day after our arrival, while in that street which
serves as an Exchange for the merchants, to our great surprise we saw
our friend Manuel the Jew. But how changed from the sickly, poor old
man we had known on board the barque! He was decently dressed in
sober black, with a long cloak and a well-cared-for periwig, and
spake to one who looked like a person of standing, as a man speaking
to his equal.
On seeing us he came forward, and, after shaking hands with me and
Angus, he saluted Mr. O'Rourke, who returned his bow, but not
overwarmly. After a few words he excused himself and spake for a
little with a gentleman of good appearance, indicating us the while.
Evidently at his invitation, the gentleman came up to us and
addressed Mr. O'Rourke: "Sir, I am Signor Antonio Arnaldi, one of the
merchants of this place, and not ill-connected. My friend Manuel
tells me he is under some obligation to your young gentlemen for
kindness received, and begs your permission to allow their attendance
at some festivity among his people to-night. The son of the Grand
Duke, I am told, intends to honour it with his presence, so you may
judge it is an occasion of unusual importance. He assures me he will
take every care of the young gentlemen, and asks my word for his
trustworthiness, which I can give from the bottom of my heart, as can
any honourable merchant in Livorno." So saying he bowed most
graciously, and, after some further words and compliments, Mr.
O'Rourke as handsomely gave his full consent, when there was more
bowing and compliments on all sides, and the merchant betook himself
to his affairs. Though we were in no way bound to Mr. O'Rourke's
consent to our comings and going, we did not hold it necessary to
protest when others took it for granted he stood in this relation
towards us.
Manuel then led us through the Exchange, and though Mr. O'Rourke was
somewhat stiff at first, this soon wore off when he saw what people
saluted our guide and their manner of so doing. Manuel knew every
one; he pointed out to us the most considerable merchants, shewed us
the harbour and the Duke's galleys, making plain much we would not
have understood, and left us at the dinner-hour, promising to call
for us at our lodging in the evening.
That afternoon we went to the great baths, which were managed after
the manner of Turkey, as Manuel had explained to us, and though
somewhat alarmed at first by so much steam and heat and water, and
the slappings and punchings and rubbings of the naked Turks who
waited on us, we soon got used to it and came out after some hours
feeling like different persons, cleaner I suppose than we had ever
been in our lives before. We then walked on the Mole and admired the
fine ladies taking the air in their chairs borne by footmen all well
liveried and appointed.
Towards evening Manuel came for us, and though he most civilly
invited Mr. O'Rourke to make one of us, he pretexed another
engagement.
"You see," he explained to us, when we withdrew to make our
preparation, "you have no characters at all, and can consort with the
Grand Turk, if you choose, but I am respectable and cannot afford to
take liberties with myself."
"Indeed, Mr. O'Rourke," said I, "we have a great deal of character."
"So I have perceived; but it is more to the quality I am referring,"
he returned.
"Well, and did you ever hear anything against my family?" I asked,
somewhat heated.
"Nothing but what filled me with terror, being a peaceable man in my
quiet hours," he said, with a laugh.
But now I began to suspect him of rallying me, and said I believed he
was jealous that he would not share the good things with us.
"Not I, faith!" he answered; "I'd be too much afraid of finding a
Christian child done up in a ragout, or their trapanning me to turn
me into a little Jew; and 'tis hard lines it would be for me if I
couldn't have a taste of bacon with my potato!" At which we all
laughed heartily, none the worse for his nonsense.
So Angus and I left in company with Manuel and took our way towards
the Jews' quarter.
Unlike Avignon and Marseilles, we did not find the Ghetto locked and
barred; indeed, we saw no great difference between the Jews and
Christians here, nor in their quarter either, except that it is not
so clean and there are more people than in other parts of the town;
and, I confess, we met many of those smells by which Mr. O'Rourke
says one may always tell a Jew; but, for that matter, I have met as
bad in the Sacred City of Rome itself.
Every one knew Manuel, and he was greeted with respect even by the
children in the street. We stopped at the door of a high building,
and, after climbing some flights of stairs, all open on a great
court, he unlocked a door and we entered his rooms. Here everything
was very clean, but too bare, as I thought, for a man held in such
esteem. On a table was spread a collation of fruits and sweetmeats,
of which we all three partook in great merriment by the light of a
tall silver lamp.
When our hunger was satisfied, our host led us into another room,
where from a high press he took down two rich cloaks, and, telling us
we were going to a wedding, where we must not shame our host, he put
them over our plain clothes, and bade us see ourselves in a mirror.
I never was so fine before; for not only was the cloak of the finest
camlet, of a rich blue colour, but was lined with a cherry-coloured
silk and had good lace about the neck, while that of Angus was quite
as handsome, only more of a mulberry.
For himself, he kept to his black, but his doublet was of velvet, as
was the cloak which he now took down, to which he added a heavy gold
chain, which so became his gentle face and venerable beard that in my
eyes he looked as if he should be always dressed in this fashion.
And in the midst of it all I remembered that this was the man to whom
I had offered money for a meal, and I was overcome with shame. I
suppose he perceived my thought, for he engaged us in talk at once
about the festa until my confusion passed off. It seemed mighty
strange to us, who had seen Jews so contemned in other places, and
heard such stories of their wickedness and cruelty, to listen to one
whom we had lately seen so despised and put upon talking as if a
festa were his every-day affair, and our appearance the most
particular concern he had on hand.
At length everything was adjusted to his satisfaction, and forth we
went in our bravery to win the envy and outspoken admiration of the
people as we made our way through the crowded streets towards the
house where the festa was held. The stairways up which we went were
laid with carpets and the bareness of the walls hidden under rich
stuffs, and when once in-doors we were dazzled with the lights in
hanging silver lamps and massive candelabra on every hand.
There seemed to be hundreds of people in the rooms, which were hung
with the finest of damask; and, more wonderful still, the very floor
on which we trod was covered in silver tiles--the father of the bride
having removed those of earthenware and replaced them by silver, to
do honour to his daughter and to the Grand Duke, a great patron of
the Jews, whose eldest son was to be a guest. As we went bowing our
way through the crowd we were dumb with amazement at the beautiful
dresses, the pearls, and precious stones and jewels worn by both men
and women.
The bride was simply covered with them but seemed to me a poor enough
little creature in spite of her finery, and we were surprised to find
she was little more than a child. To her every one made his
compliment in Italian or Portuguese or in the Jews' tongue, but not
knowing any of the three, I ventured on the best wish I knew in good
Gaelic--"Soaghal fada slainte's sonas pailt do Bhean na
Bainnse!"--which means, in English, "May the bride have long life and
abundant health and happiness"; at which the wee thing laughed very
merrily, though she could not have known a word; from which I
gathered a higher opinion of her intelligence than her looks.
On tables and buffets were confections and fruits, wines and sweet
drinks in vessels of every form and colour and of inconceivable
richness. To music unceasing the dancers advanced and retired, bowed
and turned until we could see but a changing maze of silks and
velvets, of flashing gold and jewels under the lights that seemed to
wave and dance before our dazzled eyes; and when, at last, the hour
came to leave, the music kept ringing and the lights flashing about
us through the still, dark streets until we dropped asleep in our
lodging.
On our awakening the next morning the first thing that met our eyes
was our finery of the night before, which, in our excitement, we had
forgotten to return to Manuel, and on his appearance later, to our
surprise, he would not hear of such a thing, though we pressed him
hard.
"When you offered me money to fill an empty stomach, was I
ungrateful?" he asked; and part for this, and part that he should not
think that we scorned to accept from a Jew, we desisted and made such
return as we could.
Mr. O'Rourke now came for us with an invitation to breakfast with two
Scottish gentlemen making the Grand Tour, who had sent their servant
to our lodging with their compliments and the message. But I cannot
recall anything further than one was a Mr. Ramsay, over whose lap Mr.
O'Rourke upset a dish of tea, and great was the outcry and many the
apologies thereat.
We joined our friend Manuel again, who had undertaken to engage for
us a reliable interpreter with whom to journey to Rome, for, much to
our disgust, we found the little French we had been at such pains to
acquire during our stay at Paris was as useless as our English in
these parts, and we were now to lose Mr. O'Rourke, though he gave us
a hope of joining us at some point before we reached our journey's
end.
After consulting with Angus, I took the precaution to buy two good
French folding-knives, one for each, which would serve both for the
table and defence, if need be.
In order to avoid the dangers of a bad road across an unsettled
country, where many lawless characters abounded, it was decided we
should go to Pisa by way of the Canal, and thence hire a caleche and
take the main highway to Rome by way of Bolsena and Viterbo.
In the early morning, accompanied by Mr. O'Rourke, we made our way to
the Canal, where we found Manuel awaiting us by the boat, somewhat
similar to the Coche d'Eau by which we had travelled to Auxerre, with
a basket filled with fruit and the sweatmeats we most admired. He
begged us not to forget him, and seemed so down at parting that we
could not refrain from embracing him, though in Mr. O'Rourke's
presence, who behaved very handsomely himself in thanking Manuel,
which I thought the more of than our own action, as we were drawn to
him and he was not. At last we moved slowly off, waving our adieux
to the two best friends we had so far met in our travels.
It must have been Manuel who made the difference, for I remember but
little of Pisa or the first part of our journey, save that the open
caleche was pleasant, and that we were much taken with Luigi, our
interpreter, who allowed neither postilions nor innkeepers to get the
upper hand of him or us, and who was always in good-humour. The inns
were mostly bad, and we suffered cruelly from fleas, which were
nearly as many and as hard to get rid of as the beggars.
About noon, one day in December, we drove into a small town most
strongly placed, called Aquapendente, and there, before the door of
the Tre Corone, we caught sight of Mr. O'Rourke, standing head and
shoulders above the crowd.
We were so overjoyed to see him once more that we flew into his arms,
and there was great laughing and outcry for a few moments. At length
he shook himself free and pretended to rate us. "Here! Here! You
young ruffians! Where are your manners? Don't you see I am talking
to a gentleman, or was, until you two Highland caterans fell on me!
"--Now let me see what you have learned by your foreign travel," he
continued.
"Captain Creach," said he, turning to the gentleman who was looking
on and laughing, but who, on being addressed, at once took an air of
attention, "this is Ian--or, in English, John--McDonell of Scottos,
of the mature age of twelve, the scion of an illustrious family,
whose ancestors have ruled in Knoidart and parts adjacent from the
days of Noah downwards.
"And this," he said, waving his hand towards Angus, "is Mr. Angus
McDonald of Clanranald, who confesses to fourteen years, whose name
is known with distinction in the Highlands, and with fear through the
countries towards the south.
"They are travelling to Rome, there to complete their studies in the
Scots College, and may afterwards enter into competition for the
higher offices in the gift of His Holiness, provided secular callings
have not a greater charm. I have enjoyed the honour of travelling in
their company, and can answer for their principles, if not always for
their discretion...." And so on, with much more of his Irish
balderdash, without sense or meaning, until Captain Creach, who was a
small, genteel-appearing man, with a very white face, dressed in a
habit, half civil, half military, cut him short and shook hands with
us, saying he was sure we would prove a credit to our names wherever
we might go, though he would be sorry to see two such fine lads
hiding their figures in black petticoats--a sentiment which warmed me
to him at once; and when I learned he had actually been in the
Regiment Irlandia, my delight knew no bounds. I questioned him at
once, but found he did not remember my Uncle Scottos--he was too
young for that--though he knew his name well, which did not astonish
me.
We spent the morning merrily, I paying for a bottle of wine for him
and Mr. O'Rourke, and Angus and I readily agreed to wait over the day
that we might enjoy their company, as the Captain was on his way
north and Mr. O'Rourke was not yet ready for Rome. Luigi we sent off
to enjoy himself after his own fashion.
Whilst the dinner was preparing, Angus and Mr. O'Rourke set off to
see the fall of water near by, but I remained in the upper room with
my new friend, as I had much yet to inquire concerning the Regiment.
But after a little he seemed to grow weary of my questioning, and
suddenly, without any introduction, asked me if I had any money by me.
"Yes," I answered, honestly enough.
"Well, then, I'll have to accept a loan from you," he said,
carelessly, as if we had been long discussing the matter.
"I'm sorry I cannot oblige you, sir," said I. rising from my place
and beginning to walk up and down, feeling mighty uncomfortable.
"Come, come, my lad," said he, in a voice he tried to make very
friendly, "we soldiers have our ups and downs, and always help each
other. Your Uncle Scottos would be proud to help a brother officer."
"That may be, sir, but, according to your own shewing, you never had
the honour to know my Uncle Scottos, who is not here to answer for
himself."
"You little puppy!" he roared. "Do you know nothing of what should
be between gentlemen?"
He saw by my face he had made a mistake, and at once went on a new
tack. "But there, there!--you must pardon my heat. I am only a
rough soldier and slow to take a jest. Believe me, I had no intent
to frighten you."
I was the angry one now. "I know nothing of your intents, Captain
Creach," said I; "I am only sure of one thing, and that is, you did
not and cannot frighten me. I have just enough money for us to get
to Rome, and could not make a loan to you or to any other were I ever
so willing. So there the matter rests."
The words were barely out of my mouth before he rushed at me. I was
on my guard, and, throwing a chair in his way, nearly upset him; but
he recovered before I could get at him, and in a minute more had me
by the collar, shaking the life out of me. I did my best to butt him
with my head, but could not get room; so I was kicking and striking
and biting like an otter, making noise enough to bring the house
down, when the door flew open, and in rushed Angus. He never waited
a moment, but attacked the Captain behind, catching his legs very
cleverly; whereupon I, giving a sudden shove, down we went, all three
together, rolling over and over among the chairs and under the table.
Angus and I were both as strong as ponies, and such a fight had no
terrors for us; and the Captain, being a small man, we were not so
very unequal: thus it was in a trice we had him flat on his back,
Angus on his two legs and I straddling on his chest, with my knees on
his arms, doing my best to get at my French knife, so I might cut his
wicked throat, when in burst Mr. O'Rourke, who, catching my hand just
as I had my knife free, upset us both and dragged the Captain to his
feet.
"What's all this jerrymahoo about, you young savages?" he shouted;
but I could not answer, as I was wild to get at the Captain again,
now I had recovered my wind; and a good day's work it would have been
for me and others had I done so. However, Mr. O'Rourke held me at
arm's-length until I quieted down, and, after sending away the inn
people who were crowding through the door, now they saw all danger
over, I panted out the story.
"You damned scoundrel!" said Mr. O'Rourke, though he was a most
religious man and almost as good as a priest. "You scoundrel; faith
I'm sorry I didn't let this baby finish you! But we'll tan your
cowardly hide for this or my name's not O'Rourke!
"But look at the creature's ears!" he broke out of a sudden; "he has
them as big as the Prophet's ass! And to think of me being taken in
by the animal!" Thereupon he turned him round and bade us mark the
way in which his ears stuck out from his shaven pate, now his wig was
knocked off, while he roared with laughter.
But this all went sadly against my grain, as I was all for punishing
the rogue then and there, and I knew Mr. O'Rourke would soon make
this impossible if he went on with his jesting. However, he pointed
out that to such a man the disgrace would mean as much as his
punishment, and he would hand him over to the magistrate himself.
"The creature sets up to be a gentleman, but if we can get one of his
shoulders stamped with a hot iron, as is their fashion hereabouts,
'twill take a mighty fine coat to cover that same," he explained,
much to our satisfaction. So the innkeeper was called and bidden to
lock him up securely; and off marched the Captain with his white
face, looking half dazed, but offering no words or apology whatever.
[Illustration: "IN BURST MR. O'ROURKE"]
When we were alone, Mr. O'Rourke burst out, blaming himself for
leaving me alone with such a man, calling himself every name he could
lay his tongue to for being taken in with the first scoundrel he
picked up. "'Tis a pretty ass I have made of myself, turning up my
nose at your consorting with a poor, harmless Jew, and then to take
up myself with a picaroon of a captain, and perhaps play second
fiddle to the hangman! Job no doubt had me in his eye when he said
that 'multitude of years should teach wisdom' (et annorum multitudo
doceret sapientiam), but my wisdom was a fool to your folly."
However, after awhile we all cooled down, and by the time dinner was
on the table were in our sober senses again. Then in comes Luigi,
who must hear the whole story over, and sets us all laughing merrily
with his antics, feigning to weep when we told how Mr. O'Rourke would
not let me slit the Captain's throat; but when he heard what we had
done with the scamp, he was off in a trice and back as soon, dragging
the innkeeper with him and bursting with anger. It was soon
explained. The Captain had escaped, and Luigi was for haling the
innkeeper before the judge; but the poor man cried so piteously, and
so besought us not to undo him, that we took compassion, and
contented ourselves with ordering our caleche and starting again on
our journey, Mr. O'Rourke promising to see us in Rome.
We arrived at Viterbo through a fine stretch of country, more
especially about the Lake of Bolsena, but passed through no towns of
importance. We had heard such tales of robbers that we here
determined to better provide for our personal safety; so we set out
from the inn, and, with the help of Luigi, found an armourer, with
whom we bargained for a pair of pistols, and had them at a fair
price. He had some good blades as well, and, now we had begun to
have a hankering for weapons, I desired one greatly, but was
dissuaded by Luigi, who pointed out they were much too long for me to
carry, and, further, that for young gentlemen going to college we had
weapons enough and to spare.
About a mile from the town we came on a hill so steep we were forced
to dismount and climb on foot. "At the top we will find a guard of
archers," said Luigi, "who have been there ever since the days of
Innocent the Eleventh."
"Not the same ones, surely?" said I, quizzing him, after the manner
of Mr. O'Rourke.
"I don't doubt it," he returned, gravely; "most of them are old and
useless enough to have been there since the days of Nero. But that
is not my point; that is in the story, if you can find it."
"Go on with your tale, Luigi; he knows nothing of history," said
Angus.
"History, indeed, you dunderhead!" said I, much disgusted. "Can't
you see a joke when 'tis under your nose?"
"I've been carrying my nose in my pocket, according to Mr. O'Rourke's
direction, ever since I came into the country, and I don't find your
joke so fine that I need take it out," he returned, with a silly air
of conceit which angered me mightily.
"See here, my fine fellow!" said I, stopping short; "if you have a
mind to try any of your Prester John airs with me, you had best put
your head where your nose is, or the one will soon be as little use
to you as the other."
"Oh, gentlemen, gentlemen!" cried Luigi at this, much distressed; "I
have not even yet begun my story!"
"Don't mind us, Luigi," said Angus, quite cool; "go on with your
story. We are only getting the laugh in at the wrong end. I did not
mean to ruff you, Shonaidh," he added, very handsomely, for Angus
could be quite the gentleman when he desired.
"I know you didn't," I returned, without offence; "but you shouldn't
laugh at me when I am trying a joke. My temper is short."
On this we made up without further words, and both turned to Luigi,
begging him to continue with his tale.
"Well, as I was saying, 'twas in the days of Innocent the Eleventh,
when a young Polish friar, on his way towards Rome, was here arrested
by two robbers, who, after relieving him of his purse, which they
found much too light for one of his comfortable appearance,
threatened him with torture unless he revealed where the rest of his
money was hid. He thereupon owned to having some gold pieces in the
soles of his shoes, on which they bade him sit down and started to
strip his feet. Now, he being very powerful, and marking the
favourable position of his tormentors, seized his opportunity and the
robbers at the same moment, and brought their heads together with so
happy a crack that he rendered them senseless. Seeing their state,
he repeated his experiment with such success that he soon put an end
to their rogueries forever. Rejoicing at his good fortune, he took
all their effects, piled them on one of his horses, and, mounted on
the other, made his way into Rome with all the honours of war. The
Pope, hearing of his adventure, desired to see so remarkable a man,
and the young friar was accordingly brought into his presence. When
asked how he, a single man. accomplished so extraordinary a feat, he
folded his hands and replied modestly in Latin: "May it please Your
Holiness, I seized each of them softly by the hair of his head and
softly knocked the head of the one against the head of the other
until they both were dead!" And His Holiness, who was a man of a
merry humour, laughed heartily at the simplicity of the answer, and
not only gave the stout friar both the goods of the robbers and his
blessing, but posted a guard here as well, that no other student
might be put to a like proof of his courage."
However, we saw no robbers, great or small, perhaps because we were
so well prepared, though we went through a country full of woods and
wild places, well fitted for this class of gentry. We continued our
journey without further matter worth mention until, as we drove out
of a little village called Baccano, Luigi jumped up in great
excitement, and, crying to the postilion to stop, fairly shouted in
his joy, "Ecco Roma!" And far away in the distance, over the rising
mists of the morning, we saw the cross of St. Peter twinkling like a
star of gold.
We were all impatience now and longed for no more adventures, but,
despite our longing, it was nearly evening before we drove in by the
Porto del Popolo, and black night before we passed our baggages at
the Dogana, and Luigi deposited us in safety at the Scots College, in
the via delle Quattro Fontane.