he journey would soon be repaired by the comforts and
watchful care with which we could surround him at Worth Maltravers.

So the first week in October saw us once more with our faces set towards
England. A very comfortable swinging-bed or hammock had been arranged
for John in the travelling carriage, and we determined to avoid fatigue
as much as possible by dividing our journey into very short stages. My
brother seemed to have no intention of giving up the Villa de Angelis.
It was left complete with its luxurious furniture, and with all his
servants, under the care of an Italian _maggior-duomo_. I felt that as
John's state of health forbade his entertaining any hope of an immediate
return thither, it would have been much better to close entirely his
Italian house. But his great weakness made it impossible for him to
undertake the effort such a course would involve, and even if my own
ignorance of the Italian tongue had not stood in the way, I was far too
eager to get my invalid back to Worth to feel inclined to import any
further delay, while I should myself adjust matters which were after all
comparatively trifling. As Parnham was now ready to discharge his usual
duties of valet, and as my brother seemed quite content that he should
do so, Raffaelle was of course to be left behind. The boy had quite won
my heart by his sweet manners, combined with his evident affection to
his master, and in making him understand that he was now to leave us,
I offered him a present of a few pounds as a token of my esteem. He
refused, however, to touch this money, and shed tears when he learnt
that he was to be left in Italy, and begged with many protestations of
devotion that he might be allowed to accompany us to England. My heart
was not proof against his entreaties, supported by so many signs of
attachment, and it was agreed, therefore, that he should at least attend
us as far as Worth Maltravers. John showed no surprise at the boy being
with us; indeed I never thought it necessary to explain that I had
originally purposed to leave him behind.

Our journey, though necessarily prolonged by the shortness of its
stages, was safely accomplished. John bore it as well as I could have
hoped, and though his body showed no signs of increased vigour, his
mind, I think, improved in tone, at any rate for a time. From the
evening on which he had shown me the terrible discovery in the Via
del Giardino he seemed to have laid aside something of his