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THEY PAY A VISIT TO THE MARIONETTE THEATRE. |
A SNOB THEY SAW WRITING HIS NAME UPON ROOF OF MILAN CATHEDRAL. |
WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY, THAT B. J. AND R. HAD NO CONNECTION WITH THE ABOVE PARTY.
ROBINSON’S DETERMINATION TO LET HIS BEARD GROW “NATURALLY,” HAD AN ABSURD RESULT, THE HAIR GROWING IN VIOLENT AND ABRUPT CROPS IN SOME PLACES, AND NOT AT ALL IN OTHERS; SO THAT JONES, WHO WAS SENSITIVE ABOUT APPEARANCES, (AND WHOSE OWN MOUSTACHE WAS DOING BEAUTIFULLY,) INSISTED AT LAST UPON R.’S BEING SHAVED, WHICH EVENT ACCORDINGLY TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY OF MILAN. IT WAS WELL THAT ROBINSON CONSENTED, FOR THE BARBER EYED HIM EAGERLY, AND AS IF HE WOULD SPRING UPON HIM AND SHAVE HIM BY FORCE.
THE MOMENT WE SEATED OURSELVES IN A CAFÉ, AN AWFUL GROUP OF BEGGARS STOOD BEFORE US—SO SUDDENLY THAT THEY APPEARED TO HAVE COME UP THROUGH A TRAP-DOOR—AND DEMANDED ALMS. THEY WOULD NOT GO WITHOUT MONEY, AND WHEN THEY GOT IT THEY TOOK IT AS A RIGHT. IT WOULD NOT DO FOR ONE OF US TO “SETTLE” WITH THEM FOR THE WHOLE PARTY, FOR NO SOONER HAD I GIVEN THEM A COIN THAN THEY TURNED TO JONES, AND WHEN DONE WITH HIM, COOLLY SET UPON ROBINSON. THE INSTANT ONE TRIBE DEPARTED, A FRESH RELAIS ARRIVED, SO THAT THERE WAS A CONSTANT SUPPLY (OF BEGGARS) AND DEMAND (ON OUR PURSES).
NO PLACE SEEMED SAFE: IN THE MOST MAGNIFICENT AND LUXURIOUSLY-DECORATED CAFÉS THEY HAD PERFECT RIGHT OF WAY, THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE RICH GILDING, GLASS, FOUNTAINS, ETC., OF THE ONE, AND THE RAGS, DIRT, AND DRAMATICALLY GOT-UP HORRORS OF THE OTHER BEING PICTURESQUE, BUT CERTAINLY NOT PLEASANT; AND YET, AS JONES REMARKED, THEY SAY THIS COUNTRY HAS NOT FREE INSTITUTIONS.
VERONA.
JONES ASKS ROBINSON, WHETHER HE “SEES BEFORE HIM THE GLADIATOR DIE?” BUT ROBINSON MAINTAINS A DIGNIFIED SILENCE.
AUSTRIAN DETECTIVE STOPS BROWN TO EXAMINE HIS SKETCHING STOOL. IT PUZZLES HIM. THERE IS AN AIR OF MYSTERY ABOUT IT. IT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE A WEAPON TO BE USED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, OR AN INFERNAL MACHINE! WHO KNOWS? ON THE WHOLE, HE THINKS HE HAD BETTER DETAIN IT.
ENTER THE AUSTRIAN ARMY. THEY ADVANCE UPON HIM, THEY THINK HE IS TAKING THE FORTIFICATIONS.
ROBINSON, WHO IS MUCH GIVEN TO QUOTATION, IS, AT THE VERY MOMENT, LANGUIDLY RECITING THE LINES:—