a man to act as guide who knew
the country thoroughly. It occurred to me that we had better begin by
confiding th e real object of our journey only to the most trustworthy
people we could find among the better-educated classes. For this reason
we followed, in one respect, the example of the fatal dueling-party, by
starting, early on the morning of the fourth day, with sketch-books and
color-boxes, as if we were only artists in search of the picturesque.

After traveling some hours in a northerly direction within the Roman
frontier, we halted to rest ourselves and our mules at a wild little
village far out of the track of tourists in general.

The only person of the smallest importance in the place was the priest,
and to him I addressed my first inquiries, leaving Monkton to await my
return with the guide. I spoke Italian quite fluently, and correctly
enough for my purpose, and was extremely polite and cautious in
introducing my business, but in spite of all the pains I took, I only
succeeded in frightening and bewildering the poor priest more and more
with every fresh word I said to him. The idea of a dueling-party and a
dead man seemed to scare him out of his senses. He bowed, fidgeted, cast
his eyes up to heaven, and piteously shrugging his shoulders, told me,
with rapid Italian circumlocution, that he had not the faintest idea
of what I was talking about. This was my first failure. I confess I was
weak enough to feel a little dispirited when I rejoined Monkton and the
guide.

After the heat of the day was over we resumed our journey.

About three miles from the village, the road, or rather cart-track,
branched off in two directions. The path to the right, our guide
informed us, led up among the mountains to a convent about six miles
off. If we penetrated beyond the convent we should soon reach the
Neapolitan frontier. The path to the left led far inward on the Roman
territory, and would conduct us to a small town where we could sleep for
the night. Now the Roman territory presented the first and fittest field
for our search, and the convent was always within reach, supposing we
returned to Fondi unsuccessful. Besides, the path to the left led over
the widest part of the country we were starting to explore, and I was
always for vanquishing the greatest difficulty first; so we decided
manfully on turning to the left. The expedition in which this resolution
involved us lasted a whole week, and produced no results. We