The Argosy — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

A Freak of fortune. 253 left; and I naturally looked round, as soon as Fritz was gone, with the eye of an upholsterer as to the capabilities of my apartment. Fortu- nately it was in itself,though very sparely furnished, large and handsome; and as I, by good luck, had purchased from a Jew in the Ghetto, in Rome, an antique arm-chair, which I had, by good luck also, brought here for my summer siestas, this I determined, though the cover was none of the best, nor the seat of the softest, to convert into a throne for Holy Father. Ornaments of any other kind certainly there were none. But, after having arranged flowers, and hung up hastily-made garlands ; and by help of a portfolio of my lamented father’s drawings, whose slightest efforts have ever drawn forth the approbation of our beloved Pontiff, for whom he executed a series of designs now in the Vatican ; the large room began to assume a festal appearance. Full of satisfaction so far, I] now turned my attention to the seat of honour: the only seat necessary in the apartment. For this purpose I hastened across to the Convent of the Redentores, feeling sure that the Holy Brothers of the Trinity would gladly assist me with some of their sacred draperies. But for once I had counted without my host. Fra Angelo, good man, answered me somewhat snappishly, saying that they needed all for the sudden decoration of their chapel, seeing that Holy Father would bless it and them on his return. Fra Eugenio, Fritz’s Latin teacher; who was fixing the heavy wax candles in their sockets, whispered me in passing to wait a little. I waited, then followed him by a back way to the vestry, where Fra Eustacio, with a little sigh, yielded up to me an armful of yellow silk damask, with which I stepped away no little satisfied: understanding clearly enough that the Prior was not over wel! pleased that Holy Father would refresh himself at the Villa Zuccone, instead of in the refectory of the sacred Redentori. My old chair was soon transformed into one of Hipal state. A pillow was laid upon the hard seat, a footstool was improvised, and the whole covered and draped in the completest manner; a piece of gold brocade, on which, as it happened, the Papal arms were wrought, conspicuously shining forth on the back. All this done, I had still ample time to attend to my own toilet and that of Fritz, who returned in triumph with his two men. These I now left in possession of my saloon to cover the empty table with most elegant rinfrescamento. Presently the clanging of all the bells in Monte del Caccia announced that his Holiness was on his descent from Sopra Monte. From the loggia on the roof, where we all betook ourselves: the Zuccone family in the highest festal array, and Zuccone himself quite unstable on his feet, as if fairly drunk with proud excitement: we beheld the descending train, first winding slowly down the ancient Via Triumphalis, leading from the lofty white convent, a long COniiclooolxs (SO)