ey are some of our party who have turned off by a short cut to go to
Meteora," replied my Albanian.

"What! a short cut on both sides of the road! how is that? I suspect you
are not simple travellers."

"Well," he replied, "we do not wish to molest you. Go on your way in
peace, and let us pass quietly, for you are by far the larger party."

"Yes," said the man, "but how many have you in the bushes? What are they
about there?"

"I don't know what they are about," said he, "but they will not molest
you [one of them was peeping over a bush at the back of the party all
the while, but they did not see him]; and we, I assure you, are
peaceable travellers like yourselves."

Our new acquaintance did not seem at all satisfied, and he and all his
party drew up along the path as we passed them, with evident misgivings
as to our purpose; and soon afterwards, looking back, we saw them
keeping close together and trotting along as fast as their loaded horses
would go, some of them looking round at us every now and then till we
lost sight of them among the trees.

The proverb says--you shall know a man by his friends, and my character
had evidently suffered from the appearance of the company I kept, for
the merchants held me as little better than a rogue; there was, however,
no time for explanations, and it was with feelings of indignant virtue
that I left the forest, and after crossing the river Peneus at a ford,
my merry men and I continued our journey along the grassy plain of
Meteora.

CHAPTER XIX.

Meteora--The extraordinary Character of its Scenery--Its Caves
formerly the Resort of Ascetics--Barbarous Persecution of the
Hermits--Their extraordinary Religious Observances--Singular
Position of the Monasteries--The Monastery of Barlaam--The
difficulty of reaching it--Ascent by a Windlass and Net, or by
Ladders--Narrow Escape--Hospitable Reception by the Monks--The
Agoumenos, or Abbot--His strict Fast--Description of the
Monastery--The Church--Symbolism in the Greek Church--Respect for
Antiquity--The Library--Determination of the Abbot not to sell any
of the MSS.--The Refectory--Its Decorations--Aerial Descent--The
Monastery of Hagios Stephanos--Its Carved Iconostasis--Beautiful
View from the Monastery--Monastery of Agia Triada--Summary Justice
at Triada--Monastery of Agia Roserea--Its Lady Occupants--Admission
refused.

The scenery of Meteora