323 



in honour of our presence ; but he seemed thoroughly 

 to understand the picturesqueness of the old garments, 

 darns and patches, and would not hear of a change. 

 " Why the tailor could not make such a one as this \" 

 he exclaimed, looking down complacently at the thread- 

 bare surface. The thing was, he had been often painted, 

 and knew very well what looking figure an artist liked, 

 and what would do best for a picture. Pleased as he 

 was to see us, there was a sturdy self-importance and 

 gravity in his manner which was rather amusing; a 

 feeling of his own consequence which peeped forth 

 through the very holes of his jacket. I asked him 

 about his family. There were four children alive he 

 said, but he had had twelve. 



" No, father, eleven," said the boy. 



" Sacra ! one more or less," exclaimed Pepi, " who 

 can be so exact as all that ?" 



There was an old map of Europe hanging up against 

 the wall, which Pepi took down and asked me to show 

 him where I came from. I pointed out Bath, which he 

 then underlined. It was quite extraordinary how soon 

 he found the places he wanted. "There's Havre," he 

 said, "that's where they all go to sail for America. 

 And there's Schleswig, where they are fighting and 

 killing one another. 'Twill all end in nothing; they 

 fight and fight, and the others look on, but if it don't 

 go on as they like, they '11 step in and stop 'em. And 

 here 's Partenkirchen, — what a way from Bath !" 



My companion now began to make a drawing, and 

 nothing could be prettier or more amusing than the 

 group. It had, it seems, been the grand ambition of 

 Pepi's wife to be painted too; artist after artist had 

 come there, and she had never once been asked to sit, 

 while her husband figured in many a portfolio. She 



y2 



