Presently, however, a look of intelligence kindled up one or two faces, and a whisper passed from one to another relating to me, the subject of which I could not then conjecture. The eyes of the faithful now beamed on me with looks of compassion and tenderness, and I could hear sympathizing sighs and expressions, such as “Poor fellow!” “He looks cold!” “Released at last!” Anxious to escape this attention I turned to go. The deacon Laurence, who was a gentleman, though strongly imbued with the superstition of his times, offered very courteously to conduct me from the catacombs to my place of residence. I accepted his offer with profound gratitude, as I had not the remotest conception of where I was to reside. We traversed the passages for the most part in silence, occasionally I broke it by exclamations of dissatisfaction as inscriptions of questionable orthodoxy met my eyes. We did not converse much together till we emerged into the light of day, when I asked where I was to be lodged. The deacon replied that the venerable Pope Sextus usually transferred penitents from their own houses to the mansion of Donatella, where they could enter into retreat before the expiation of their sentence. “Eh!” I exclaimed, opening my eyes very wide. “After your long penitence, the Holy Father will doubtless at once remove the sentence and restore you to the communion of the Faithful.” “Eh!” I gasped again in sad bewilderment. “It must have been very cold up there,” mused the blessed Laurence: then after a pause he asked suddenly, “Where is the dog?” “What dog?” I enquired; and then aside, “Can he have heard anything of Ponto, my Newfoundland? Impossible!” “Why, the dog who has been with you so many ages.” I could only stare. “The dumb witness of your crime.” “Witness of my crime!” I echoed, with an inward hysterical feeling as though I wanted to laugh wildly. “Yes, of gathering sticks on the Sabbath.” “Sticks—Sabbath!” echoed I: “Why, who do you take me for?” “The man in the moon, of course,” replied the blessed Laurence demurely: “I need hardly say that your accent, your manner of talking, and your eccentricities have convinced me and other Christians that you can be no other than that celebrated individual, whose release has at length been effected by the prayers of the faithful, and who has come now to Rome to obtain absolution at the hands of the Bishop.”