XLI 



IT is the dream of the owners of Villino Loki to build on 

 another wing / but, so far, funds do not run to this. The 

 Villino is sadly short of guest chambers / that is because 

 one room has been for ever allotted to the little Oratory. 

 This little Chapel is a haven of peace. One's thoughts 

 turn to it when one has the misfortune to be away from 

 home. Over the altar there hangs a large, wonderfully 

 beautiful crucifix. The figure, white majolica, was bought 

 in a villainous den of a curiosity shop on the Tiber. We 

 remember how it shone out of the darkness at us, and we 

 felt it had to be ours ! It is now affixed to a large gilt 

 carved wood cross made for us by the doratore in Piazza 

 Nicosia. - . Excellent ruffian ! The cross has one arm 

 much longer than the other, though no one would know it 

 who did not measure / and it has the inimitable stamp of 

 the artistic hand bound by no slavish measure or hideous 

 time-saving mechanism. 



The Chapel is chiefly white and gold. Two large Donatello 

 angels, warm ivory-coloured, from the Manifattura di Signa, 

 carry the red Sanctuary lamps. One is certainly the real 

 Donatello the other, we fear, a poor foundling. But they 

 both look very well. 



There is a great window over the moor. 

 The few small statues are, we think, attractive/ chiefly 

 decorated with bronzy golds and deep colours. There is 

 St. Louis, King of France, specially carved by a Bavarian 

 artist,- a slender noble figure with a face of grave asceticism, 

 holding up the Crown of Thorns. And there is a sternly 

 warlike St. Michael, all golden, resting on his sword. And 

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