Italian letters of a diplomat's wife, January-May 1880, February-April, 1904 . Schuyler. I think he was awise man and foresaw what was going to happen. Quitea number of strangers had come out by train—all Eng-lish and American, no one we knew—and the table-dhotewas quite full. As soon as the gentlemen had had theircoffee, about , w^e started for Tusculum, Gert and Ion donkeys with two pretty, chattering Italian boys attheir heads—Bunsen on a stout little mountain pony, andW. on foot. He wouldnt hear of a donkey, and pre-ferred to walk with the guide. We climbed up the steeplittle path, bet
Italian letters of a diplomat's wife, January-May 1880, February-April, 1904 . Schuyler. I think he was awise man and foresaw what was going to happen. Quitea number of strangers had come out by train—all Eng-lish and American, no one we knew—and the table-dhotewas quite full. As soon as the gentlemen had had theircoffee, about , w^e started for Tusculum, Gert and Ion donkeys with two pretty, chattering Italian boys attheir heads—Bunsen on a stout little mountain pony, andW. on foot. He wouldnt hear of a donkey, and pre-ferred to walk with the guide. We climbed up the steeplittle path, between high walls at first, then opening outon the hillside to the amphitheatre, which we saw quitewell. The arena and seats are very well are still rows of steps, slippery and green withmoss. We went on again toward Ciceros Villa, and fora moment the clouds cleared a little, and we saw what theview might be straight over the Campagna to Rome(the dome of St. Peters just standing out—on one sidethe hills with the little villages where we have ridden so. 330 0 H i88o] OF A DIPLOMATS WIFE 113 often, Monte Compatri, Monte Porzio, the Campi clAn-nibale and Monastery of Monte Cave in the distance).I wonder if the old monk would tell us to-day what onedid years ago, when we were standing on the terracelooking at the magnificent view : Quando fa bel temposi puo vedere le montagne dAmerica (When it is fineone can see the mountains of America). I thought itwas rather pretty, his eagerness to make us understandwhat an extended view one had from his mountain top,and he probably didnt know where America was. How-ever, our little gleam of sunlight didnt last—first camebig drops, then a regular downpour, and in a few min-utes a thick white mist closed around us, shutting outeverything. We took refuge for a few moments undera sort of ruined portico, but the rain came down harder,and we decided to give up Ciceros Villa, and turn ourfaces homeward. The descent was neither
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