112 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



any Chancellor of the Exchequer with gratitude and 

 admiration ; whereas the poor Capriotes groan, not 

 blaming "Vittorio" rather, on the whole, feeling a 

 kind of pride in him, as in some kind of unknown 

 ogre, who has proved his right to the kingdom in the 

 primitive way, by taking when he had the power 

 but quite unable to conceive why they should pay 

 so much more for this new article, which, after all, 

 at a level of life so primitive as theirs, is a question 

 important enough to swallow up a good many more 

 visionary considerations. 



As we thread the village streets and stairs on our 

 way home, passing various forlorn couples of old 

 soldiers, invalids of the Italian army, who inhabit the 

 lofty chambers of the old Certosa, or Carthusian con- 

 vent, let us glance into the cathedral in passing, where 

 at this moment, with voices that rend your ears, the 

 village girls are singing the Ave Maria. This volun- 

 tary choir, which is huddled up on its knees in a 

 corner of the church, and sings, or rather screams, 

 the Virgin's litany in a voice something between that 

 of a hoarse ballad-singer and a peacock, carries on its 

 devotion unnoticed by any one ; but in the body of 

 the church are seated a few old people, principally 

 old men, half at least old soldiers passive, patient 

 figures, who are always to be found here, as indeed 

 in most Italian churches. The women who come in 

 make their way to pray at some special shrine, and 

 when they have made their reverence to the high 



