winner, not I."

So I paid him the money, and walked off with the ring on my finger the
same that I wear to this day, gentlemen. Here it is. There is no doubt
that it is a very excellent specimen of Graeco-Roman art, and is most
elaborately cut. I have not the slightest doubt, however, that I paid
enough and more than enough for it, for as I followed the man with my
eyes, I noticed an avaricious chuckle on his face, as an Italian shopman
may be supposed to wear at having bamboozled an Englishman.

By this time my friend Rustcoin returned. I showed him my purchase, at
which he went into raptures. I told him that I wished to visit the
catacombs that morning, and therefore could not accompany him further.
He advised me to wait till the morrow, and that we should go together,
but I had inwardly vowed that morning that go I would, and nothing
should prevent me; so telling Rustcoin that we should meet at dinner, I
hailed a carriage and drove off to the church of St. Sebastian.

It is a comparatively modern church, built upon the site of the ancient
basilisk supposed to have been erected by Constantine, and consecrated
by St. Silvester, was renewed by the Pope San Domaso, and since
repeatedly restored, being at length rebuilt in the year 1611.

On my arrival I found several carriages waiting outside. I entered the
church, and there was a party of about a dozen English people, who had
likewise come to visit the catacombs.

I joined the party, and we descended a flight of steps, each of us
bearing in our hands a taper, or rather tall, narrow candle. We were
conducted by a lean, emaciated monk, who looked as if he had lived upon
nothing but by inhaling the damp air of the catacombs. As we descended,
the first object shown us was a bust of St. Sebastian by Bernini, over
the tomb of the saint, and near was an altar under which was interred
the body of St. Lucine.

As we walked along single file through these long dark corridors, the
roofs of which were every now and then so low that we were obliged to
stoop, we were shown the graves of saints and martyrs who had been
entombed within the walls, every now and then arriving at some little
chapel, in the walls of which three or four popes had been buried.

The place where the altar had stood was also carved in the rock. Here we
came across a tomb with an inscription, there upon some rude drawings on
the wall by the early Christians, representing various sacred subjects.

Impati