EFFECTS OF BREAKING LENT. 151 



roads before us, we would travel with the remain- 

 ing nine, but continue to pay them for the origi- 

 nal ten until we had returned the price of the lost 

 horse, valued at about four hundred piastres, or 

 four pounds. This promise, although very thank- 

 fully received, did not, however, alter the man- 

 ner of our Greeks ; they continued sullen and 

 silent, eating nothing from our table, contrary to 

 their usual custom. It was evident there was 

 something on their consciences, which we did 

 not understand, until explained to us some time 

 afterwards by Pagniotti. The Greek lent, which 

 had commenced when we were at Antiphellus, 

 they had never kept, partaking of meat as freely 

 as ourselves. Before leaving Leveesy, they had 

 consulted a priest, Georgio's father, who had 

 given them a dispensing order from fasting 

 during the journey ; notwithstanding which they 

 had taken fright at the accident to the horse, 

 and considered it as a judgment on them for their 

 wickedness. They both commenced a rigid fast 

 from this time, and as they had neither olives 

 nor salt-fish, their daily meal of tough wheat- 

 en or barley cakes was only varied occasionally 

 by a little yaoot and halvah, a sweet cake 

 made of honey and the meal of some pounded 



