rinning monkey held the dove tight-clutched in his
brutal grasp. Through sword and fire public taste must pass before it is
purified: the mountain-stream, dashing along with bounding steps, is
clear and sparkling, but in the long stretch of level pastureland or
prairie it is still and--dirty.

It may be well to descend and wander through those close and narrow
streets where the waste-water of old Roman aqueducts makes green and
damp the foundation stories of gloomy houses, and where the
carefully-nurtured traveler sees sights of smoked interiors, dirt and
rubbish in the streets, that terrify him; but let him remember that in
the worst of these kennels the inhabitants have never forgotten that
they had a Past, and the 'I am a Roman Citizen!' still rings in their
ears, eats into their hearts, and is at their tongue's end. Monsieur
About was in Rome when Caper was there; he saw these Romans through
Napoleonic spectacles: while one foot was trying to stamp on Antonelli
gently, the other was daintily ascending the shining steps leading to
the temple of Gallic fame. He is impressed with the idea that the Romans
are hangers-on of hangers-on to patricians, from which we are to infer,
if the patricians are ever hung, there will be a heavy weight to their
feet!

Rocjean, one afternoon, after a walk on the Pincio, was returning to his
studio, when, as he descended to the Via Babuino, he met a Roman artist
named Attonito, who cultivated the English.

'Ow arr you toe-day, my dear?' he asked Rocjean.

'Quite well, except a slight attack of bad English, from which I hope to
recover in a few minutes.'

'Pray tell unto me th-hat weech is bad Englis.'

'Haven't you been on the Pincio?'

'Yas, I tak' consteetutionails up there avery afternoons; it is a
costume Englis' th-hat I vary moche cotton to.'...

'W-hat! Cotton to? Why, that is a clear Americanism; where did you pick
it up?'

'Meester Caper of Noo-York, he told unto me it am more elegant as to
say, I love, or I affection. Bote, 'ave you saw that bu-tee-fool
creechure with 'air of flags?'...

'What!'

''Air of flags; 'ow you name eet? _Capellatura di lino?_'

'Oh! you mean tow-head?'

'Toe! no, no! I mean _lino_.'

'Ah! yes, flaxen hair.'

'_Benissimo!_ Vary well, flagson 'air and blue eyze. Shhe was in
carri-adge with Lady Blumpudy. I go avery afternoons to inspect her as
she takes the airs on the Pincio, Eet would gife me great pleasures to
ally myself to her