Irma in Italy

y left Naples, as she looked from the railway carriage, she could but wonder what was before her. Soon passing the thickly settled environs of Naples they were in a region of small far

suvius, and then began to realize, by the panti

orrow go to Paestum. Of course you know

ed with Cava,

nk blouse, seized others, and soon Irma found herself in a small room filled with massive inlaid furniture. Curtesying low, the little cameriera quickly returned with a can of hot water. Left to herself, Irma was a trifle lonely, and she was glad when the little maid returned to guide her to the dining-room. There she heard a strange mixture of accents, as she entered the room. Her uncle came forward and led

cle Jim, understanding her reluctanc

woke to the depres

laimed Uncle Jim, as she

he asked, and after that he p

oad. Most of the men wandered about the huge house aimlessly, dropping occasionally into a chair in the sitting-room, trying vainly to help time pass more quickly by reading the mont

ten the two paused from their labors-for the girl was also writing-at about the same moment. Finally the other girl broke the rather oppressive silence by asking Irma if she was on her way to or from Naples. Learning that Irma had been in Italy hardly a week, she informed her that she had been there all winter, and with her parents was now on her way to Naples. She question

at Marion

; do you

e visits cousins of mine. It is strange to see him

dn't he be

the story if you left New

ed Irma with dignity. "Marion is travelling wit

arty? Then you m

ld start in half an hour for Naples. This unexpected departure put all thoughts of Marion Horton out of Madge's

has done anything wrong." Still she felt that for the present it would be wiser not to questi

ceased, and by three o'c

an interesting old monastery, such as we may not see again. The carriage will be here in ten mi

to the monastery, Uncle Ji

s?" Aunt Caroline had ask

ave arranged with a d

he's going to ride?

n it's best not to question Marion. Haven't

Marion very wel

friends, you are so near of

they had expected. From one high point they had a delightful view of the village they had just left, circled by hills. On one was a ruined castle, on another the remains of an old monastery where a hermit monk was

hrown out, which the pigeons mistake for food, and as they swoop down

s cruel,"

o deprive a lot of hungry people of

people evidently returning from a visit to the monastery. They stopped for a moment at a church in front of which was a stone on which the driver said Pope

rives?" Aunt Caroline's tone implie

and the hours for visiting

thin he halted at the entrance, explaining that a handful of churchmen had established themselves here

iver bed, far, far below. "And a few sharp-shooting bowmen up here on the heights could keep off any number of the enemy. C

w how it was in this particular case, as all traces of the Lombards in this region have now passed away.

de, "but unfortunately for them the convent here was founded by a member of an old

brary were some good old pictures, but the most valuable treasures were the ancient manuscripts, among them the laws of the Lombards on parchment of the early eleventh century, and a Bible of the early eighth century. But for all this there was time for o

orry," she added a moment later, as they stood in an ancient room, built into the solid rock,-almost the only thing remaining of the original a

hills toward Cava di Tirreni. They did not meet Marion on the way, nor in the course of their drive along

Italians love to herd together, clinging closely to a habit no longer necessary for defence against ene

asantly without explaining what had detained him. Though Aunt Caroline gave a glowing accou

own room on the plea that he must repack his valise and

sale. After picking them over carefully, Aunt Caroline bought one or two old iron knockers and a piece of glass that she felt sure was Murano. The landlady's husband

st until you

r ornament and not use, and the k

ther things to her collection-an old key

me with me," she said. "Everything in the house is seemingly for sale even to the bed that Madame our ho

ke to examine the lion's head at the door. It had belonged to the great Filangeri family, as indeed did the hotel in the ancient da

rma that the massive lion's head with its open mouth was

Uncle Jim, joining them, as they stood there reading a tablet with an int

ingly, as she hurried ahead of Uncle Jim up t

hat the so-called buffaloes were quite unlike the bison, resembling large grayish oxen with a slight hump. They are the chief beasts of burden for the country people of this region. Uncle Jim explained that the whole country here was malarious. It had a bad reputation even in the time of Augustus,