ern side, we suddenly found ourselves in the midst
of an enormous and very dense crowd. There were lanterns everywhere,
and interminable lanes of booths, whose proprietors were praising
their wares with loud shouts; and here acrobats, jugglers, minstrels,
black-vested priests, and blue-coated soldiers mingled with a vast crowd
whose numbers at once arrested the progress of the carriage. Though it
was so late of a Sunday night, all seemed here awake and busy as at
noonday. Oil-lamps with reeking fumes of black smoke flung a glare over
the scene, and the discordant cries and chattering conversation united
in so deafening a noise as to make me turn faint and giddy, wearied as I
already was with long travelling. Though I felt that intense eagerness
and expectation which the approaching termination of a tedious journey
inspires, and was desirous of pushing forward with all imaginable
despatch, yet here our course was sadly delayed. The horses could only
proceed at the slowest of foot-paces, and we were constantly brought
to a complete stop for some minutes before the post-boy could force
a passage through the unwilling crowd. This produced a feeling of
irritation, and despair of ever reaching my destination; and the mirth
and careless hilarity of the people round us chafed with bitter contrast
on my depressed spirits. I inquired from the post-boy what was the
origin of so great a commotion, and understood him to say in reply that
it was a religious festival held annually in honour of "Our Lady of
the Grotto." I cannot, however, conceive of any truly religious person
countenancing such a gathering, which seemed to me rather like the
unclean orgies of a heathen deity than an act of faith of Christian
people. This disturbance occasioned us so serious a delay, that as we
were climbing the steep slope leading up to Posilipo it was already
three in the morning and the dawn was at hand.

After mounting steadily for a long time we began to rapidly descend, and
just as the sun came up over the sea we arrived at the Villa de Angelis.
I sprang from the carriage, and passing through a trellis of vines,
reached the house. A man-servant was in waiting, and held the door open
for me; but he was an Italian, and did not understand me when I asked
in English where Sir John Maltravers was. He had evidently, however,
received instructions to take me at once to my brother, and led the way
to an inner part of the house. As we proceeded I heard the