at country, and I saw plenty of various
nations:--they were always upon their guard, and had their features and
voice modulated; but this man was subject to fits of absence, during
which he would frequently mutter to himself; then, though he was
perfectly civil to everybody, as far as words went, I observed that he
entertained a thorough contempt for most people, especially for those
whom he was making dupes. I have observed him whilst drinking with our
governor, when the old man's head was turned, look at him with an air
which seemed to say, 'What a thundering old fool you are!' and at our
young ladies, when their backs were turned, with a glance which said
distinctly enough, 'You precious pair of ninny-hammers!' and then his
laugh--he had two kinds of laughs--one which you could hear, and another
which you could only see. I have seen him laugh at our governor and the
young ladies, when their heads were turned away, but I heard no sound. My
mother had a sandy cat, which sometimes used to open its mouth wide with
a mew which nobody could hear, and the silent laugh of that red-haired
priest used to put me wonderfully in mind of the silent mew of my
mother's sandy-red cat. And then the other laugh, which you could hear;
what a strange laugh that was, never loud, yes, I have heard it tolerably
loud. He once passed near me, after having taken leave of a silly
English fellow--a limping parson of the name of Platitude, who, they
said, was thinking of turning Papist, and was much in his company; I was
standing behind the pillar of a piazza, and as he passed he was laughing
heartily. Oh, he was a strange fellow, that same red-haired acquaintance
of ours!

"After we had been at Rome about six weeks, our old friend the priest of
Naples arrived, but without his subordinate, for whose services he now
perhaps thought that he had no occasion. I believe he found matters in
our family wearing almost as favourable an aspect as he could desire:
with what he had previously taught them and shown them at Naples and
elsewhere, and with what the red-haired confederate had taught them and
shown them at Rome, the poor young ladies had become quite hand-maids of
superstition, so that they, especially the youngest, were prepared to bow
down to anything, and kiss anything, however vile and ugly, provided a
priest commanded them; and as for the old governor, what with the
influence which his daughters exerted, and what with the ascendency whi