196 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



meanwhile (for whose splendid dress of red and gold 

 we could not help thinking that an extra charge must 

 have been made), looked on with folded arms, and a 

 most contemptuous expression on his face. Poor 

 innocent Nicholas, who had seen very little of life 

 outside his native and well-beloved Zante, was quite 

 astounded at the impudence of his fellow-country- 

 man. One item of this bill he never quite got over 

 25 francs for four oranges and some salad ! He 

 was always vowing he would write on the subject 

 to the Greek papers as we, too, were quite resolved, 

 for the benefit of future travellers, to write to the 

 ' Times.' I know not whether he kept his word. 

 Our wrath subsided without ever seeking utterance 

 in the columns of the great redresser of grievances. 

 As we got at last into our carriage we were sur- 

 rounded by a busy murmuring crowd, whose sym- 

 pathies, so far as they had any, went rather with 

 their townsman than with the strangers ; and as we 

 drove away, ourselves somewhat ruffled in temper, 

 we left, I fear, no friend behind us in Tripoli but 

 the faithful astynomos, who had stuck to us in our 

 difficulties with a firmness and good temper worthy 

 of all praise. I only hope that he was not torn in 

 pieces afterwards by the disappointed innkeeper. 

 This is not likely, however. The Greeks seem to 

 take things very much as they come. If they can 

 get round a stranger, they think it no great harm 

 to trade on their superior sharpness. If they are 



