Volume I Part 20 (2/2)
He laid himself down near ive him, for certain reasons, such a blow in his chest that he rolled out of bed He picked hi well aware that I could notalong as well as I could, I found a chair on which I passed the night At day-break, my tormentor, called up by his honest co, and the three strangers, taking their guns, departed Left alone by the departure of the vile rabble, I passed another unpleasant hour, calling in vain for soave hieon The doctor examined my foot, and assured hts He advised ly followed his counsel As soon as I was brought to the inn, I went to bed, and ell cared for, but my position was such that I dreaded the moment of my recovery I feared that I should be compelled to sell ht an to consider that if I had controlled irl so ill-treated by Stephano, I should not have fallen into this sad predicament, and I felt conscious that my sympathy had been a mistake If I had put up with the faults of the friar, if this and if that, and every other if was conjured up to torment my restless and wretched brain Yet I in in, and the ht
Theof the fourth day caeon had predicted; Ithe worthy reat coat for un to fall I owed fifteen paoli to the inn-keeper and four to the surgeon Just as I was going to proffer my painful request, Brother Stephano hter enquiring whether I had forgotten the blow froed the surgeon to leave me with the monk, and he immediately complied
I must ask my readers whether it is possible, in the face of such extraordinary circumstances, not to feel superstitious! What is truly miraculous in this case is the precise minute at which the event took place, for the friar entered the roo on my lips What surprised me most was the force of Providence, of fortune, of chance, whatever naiven to it, of that very necessary combination which coun to be enius in Chiozza at the ular guardian angel, this Stephano!
I felt that the mysterious force which threw me in his hands was a punishment rather than a favour
Nevertheless he elco ht be the power that sent him to me, I felt that I could not do better than to submit to its influence; the destiny of that monk was to escort me to Rome
”Chi va piano va sano,” said the friar as soon as ere alone He had taken five days to traverse the road over which I had travelled in one day, but he was in good health, and he had , he heard that an abbe, secretary to the Venetian a been robbed in Valcimara ”I came to see you,” he added, ”and as I find you recovered froree to walk six et the past, and let us be at once on our way”
”I cannot go; I have lost o and find the amount in the name of Saint-Francis”
He returned within an hour, but he was accompanied by the infamous constable who told me that, if I had let him knoho I was, he would have been happy to keep ive you,” he continued, ”forty paoli, if you will promise me the protection of your a it for me in Roive eement was speedily completed; I received the money, paid my debts, and left Seraval with Stephano
About one o'clock in the afternoon, retched-looking house at a short distance froood distance froht”
It was in vain that I objected, re very poor accommodation! I had to sub on a pallet, two ugly women of thirty or forty, three children entirely naked, a cow, and a cursed dog which barked continually It was a picture of squalidalms to the poor people, asked them to entertain us to supper in the name of Saint-Francis
”Youout of the cellar the bottle of hich I have kept now for twenty years” As he uttered those feords, he was seized with such a fit of coughing that I thought he would die The friar went near hirace of Saint-Francis, he would get young and well Moved by the sight of so much misery, I wanted to continue my journey as far as Collefiorito, and to wait there for Stephano, but the wo for four hours the hen set the strongest teeth at defiance, and the bottle which I uncorked proved to be nothing but sour vinegar Losing patience, I got hold of the h for a plentiful supper, and I saw the toht of our provisions
We all ate with good appetite, and, after our supper the woe beds of fresh straw, and we lay down in the dark, as the last bit of candle to be found in theon the straw five minutes, when Stephano called out to me that one of the women had just placed herself near him, and at the same instant the other one takes me in her arms and kisses ainst the other; butherself near s at my neck, and fear compels me to reles, the dog barks furiously, the old hs; all is noise and confusion At last Stephano, protected by his heavy gar, ht and left, striking in every direction; one of the women exclaims, ”Oh, God!” the friar answers, ”She has her quietus” Cal, most likely dead, is silent; the old hs no ular caresses of the ht passed off quietly
At day-break I rose; Stephano was likewise soon up I looked all round, and one out, and seeing that the old n of life, and had a bruise on his forehead, I shewed it to Stephano, re that very likely he had killed him
”It is possible,” he answered, ”but I have not done it intentionally”
Then taking up his batticulo and finding it empty he flew into a violent passion; but I was one out to get assistance and to have us arrested, and the robbery of our provisions reassured one out of the way so as to secure ier we should run by re the friar out of the house We soon no; I persuaded Stephano to take the opportunity of putting a good distance between us and the scene of our last adventures; and, as ere eating our breakfast at Folligno,another waggon, quite enano, where a devout person gave us a charitable welcoht without the dread of being arrested
Early the next day we reached Spoleti, where Brother Stephano had two benefactors, and, careful not to give either of them a cause of jealousy, he favoured both; we dined with the first, who entertained us like princes, and we had supper and lodging in the house of the second, a wealthy wine htful fa would have gone on pleasantly had not the friar, already excited by his good dinner,to please his new host, he began to abuse the other, greatly to iven us to drink was adulterated, and that the ave him the lie to his face, and called hi that they ell acquainted with their neighbour, and knehat to think of him; but the monk threw his napkin at my face, and the host took him very quietly by the arm and put him to bed in a room in which he locked hi I rose early, and was considering whether it would not be better to go alone, when the friar, who had slept hiht for the future to live together like good friends, and not give way to angry feelings; I followed my destiny once more We resumed our journey, and at Soood dinner, and soed with her against delicious truffles found in the vicinity of Soood price in Venice I did not leave the handso a part of my heart
It would be difficult to draw a picture of the indignation which overpowered me when, as ere about twofull of truffles which the scoundrel had stolen froenerous hospitality The truffles orth two sequins at least Inthat I would certainly return it to its lawful owner But, as he had not co restitution, he threw hiht But victory did not re in abeyance; I forced his stick out of his hands, knocked hi Terni, I wrote a letter of apology to our beautiful hostess of Soma, and sent back the truffles
Fro enough to exae, and frooner who carried me to Castel-Nuovo, from which place I walked to Rome I reached the celebrated city on the 1st of Septeet to mention here a rather peculiar circumstance, which, however ridiculous it may be in reality, will please many of my readers
An hour after I had left Castel-Nuovo, the atht, and within ten paces ofand four or five feet above the ground This apparition surprised me, because it seemed to accoet nearer to it, but the more I advanced towards it the further it went fromwhich I was travelling happened to be lined with trees, I no longer saw it, but it was sure to reappear as soon as I reached a portion of the road without trees I several times retraced my steps purposely, but, every time I did so, the flaain until I proceeded towards Roht chased darkness fronorant superstition, if there had been any witnesses to that phenoreat name in Rome! History is full of such trifles, and the world is full of people who attach great iht of science I h soave h not to mention the circumstance to any one
When I reached the ancient capital of the world, I possessed only seven paoli, and consequently I did not loiter about I paid no attention to the splendid entrance through the gate of the polar trees, which is by mistake pompously called of the people, or to the beautiful square of the sanificent churches, or to all the stately buildings which generally strike the traveller as he enters the city I went straight towards Monte-Magnanopoli, where, according to the address given to me, I was to find the bishop There I was infor instructions to send me to Naples free of expense A coach was to start for Naples the next day; not caring to see Rome, I went to bed until the time for the departure of the coach I travelled with three low fellows to whoh the whole of the journey I entered Naples on the 6th day of Septeiven to me in Rome; the bishop was not there I called at the Convent of the Minims, and I found that he had left Naples to proceed to Martorano I enquired whether he had left any instructions for ive e city, without a friend, with eight carlini inwhat to do! But never o The distance, after all, is only two hundred miles