The Argosy — page 120: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

106 Christmas Eve in Rome. Na ee “occupied with the services of his church” as to be unable to meet us at our lodgings, but would “ call the next day, Chnstmas Day, at half- past nine, to take us to St. Peter’s;” he supposed we “had no thought of the Pastorale, or Christmas Eve Vigil?” “‘ As if it wasn’t the very thing we Aave thought of!” I exclaimed ; while my father paused over this passage, as he conned the letter en route to our lodgings. The coachman pulled up at a high-arched door, in the Piazza di Spagna, and, on entering, we found ourselves in semi-darkness. “What a hole !” said my father, who, though a traveller in his young days, had been a stay-at-home for many years, and had English notions as to what constituted “respectable lodgings.” ‘‘ Run up, child,” he continued to me, “and see if you can find your way to the second floor through this darkness. What Charles can have meant " but the rest was lost upon me, for, feeling for a hand-rail, I ran up the stone staircase. A grated window, innocent of glass, revealed the first land- ing, sizeable enough, with four doors, two with visiting-cards nailed on them, ranged round it. The next flight of steps seemed to bring fresher air, and more light ; and through a window I caught a glimpse of even- ing sky, against which a tier of picturesque roofs glowed golden and red-brown. I pulled the tinkling bell at a door on this second landing, and a comely Italian dame made her appearance. Even in my hury, the grand head, crowned with plaits, struck me as in strange contrast to the poor dirty dress she wore. I grew used to such discrepancy in Roman women in a very few days. By this time my father and aunt Lucy had joined me, and made known who we were, and what we wanted. The woman was in distress. She had understood from the English Signor that the excellent family would not arrive till the 27th, and this was the 24th, and she had that very day let another English Signor have a portion of the apartment. He was out now, and when he would return she did not know. Half the apartment was at our disposal, certainly, a saloon and’ two bed-rooms ; at least, the Signorina could have a bed put up in the ante-chamber, &c., &c. She rattled on volubly, with a thousand gesticulations of hands, shoulders, head, till my father’s Italian and patience were almost exhausted. We were standing in the ante-chamber, which she so kindly allotted as my sleep- ing apartment, and were in high flow of dispute, when a steady step sounded on the stairs, and paused just outside the door. A clear, rather low, but distinct voice called on “ Signora Bruna.” Out rushed the padrona, exclaiming, “ Eccolo, eccolo! ecco il Signore.” So we went out too, and saw the tall figure of a gentleman, standing with his back to the staircase-window. He took off his wide-awake hat as we came out, and the light shone upon waves of brown hair, that seemed to shine like a halo in the gloom. In a very quiet way he elicited the state of affairs, and courteously offered to remove himself and his effects from the apartment. He could easily find room elsewhere, he said ; GOHRMGIOO <S GO)