uld leave it there if he dared), with many
scrapes and compliments we took our leave. The girl has never
dared to show her face, for fear of being carried off by the
lover or shut up in a convent by the Grand Inquisitor, so I
tranquillised their minds and sent them out an airing. In the
evening I spoke to Monsignore Spada, who has promised to help to
get up a case in Italian, if it should be wanted.

Dined with M. de la Ferronays, and went to his villa (Mattei)
afterwards. He has been perfect in this affair, full of
prompt kindness; but what a Government! how imbecile, how
superannuated!--a Minister of ninety almost, a sovereign of whom
all that can be said is that he is a great canonist, and all that
little bubbling and boiling of priestery and monkery, which is at
once odious, mischievous, and contemptible, a sort of extinct
volcano, all the stink of the sulphur without any of the
splendour of the eruption. They want the French again sadly.
English subjects detained by the Inquisition in 1830!! La
Ferronays advised me to ask the Pope for a moment of audience,
and to request him to see the girl himself, and interrogate her,
and learn the truth, of the case.

I had just done writing the above when a note came from La
Ferronays with the passports for the Kellys, which Albani had
sent him, so I had only to thank the Cardinal instead of
mentioning it to the Pope. I did not think he would have been so
quick. How enchanted they will be to-morrow morning!

[Page Head: MISS KELLY'S ADVENTURE]

May 29th, 1830 {p.382}

At ten Kestner called for Lovaine and me, and we went to the
Pope.[7] His Court is by no means despicable. A splendid suite of
apartments at the Quirinal with a very decent attendance of Swiss
Guards, Guardie Nobili, Chamberlains--generally ecclesiastics--
dressed in purple, valets in red from top to toe, of Spanish cut,
and in the midst of all a barefooted Capuchin. After waiting a
few minutes, we were introduced to the presence of the Pope by
the Chamberlain, who knelt as he showed us in. The Pope was alone
at the end of a very long and handsome apartment, sitting under a
canopy of state in an arm-chair, with a table before him covered
with books and papers, a crucifix, and a snuff-box. He received
us most graciously, half rising and extending his hand, which we
all kissed. His dress was white silk, and very dirty, a white
silk skullcap, red silk shoes with an embroidered cross, which
the faithful kis