140 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



other must turn up, and were only a little impatient 

 for the denouement. 



At last we stumbled on the benevolent stranger 

 who was to help us out of our difficulty. A man in 

 Christian costume was seen hastening towards us with 

 the air of one who had heard that his friends were in 

 trouble, and needed his assistance. 



" Buona sera, signori." 



How musical did the words sound ! 



" Oh, man," said we, "per carita, tell us what 

 good soul of a Greek will take us into his house this 

 night." 



"Padroni miei, you are too late to get into any 

 house this night. They are all gone to bed, and their 

 houses are shut up. You must go to the ~kJi<m." 



" Do you know where the Seraph lives 1 " 



" Surely I know it is not far from this spot." 



" Then, if you would be very kind, you will take 

 us to his house : for we have a letter for him, and 

 we hope to put up at his house." 



" Andiam, come along ; it is late, but the Seraph 

 will not have gone to bed, for he is rich, and has much 

 business. Only, my masters, you must make haste, 

 so that if he cannot receive you, I may have time to 

 lead you to the khan before that be also shut." 



This last was a very disagreeable suggestion ; but 

 we would not admit in our own minds the probability 

 of our needing the resources of public entertainment. 

 AVe had made up our conclusions that the Seraph 



