To this being, whose appearance, and the friendly shake of the hand given him by my conductor, did not tend to relieve my mind from suspicions of I knew not what, I was fain to give up my horses; he returned a surly answer in French to Mr. ***** who had said something I did not understand, and receiving the reins from me jumped into the carriage and drove away; but not alone, for I directed my man to go with him; a service he probably did not much relish, but which in my then state of mind I thought necessary. I now explored my way towards a light, and soon came up to a portico which had the appearance of being built in good style: here too I had the satisfaction to {104} meet the carriage, which I had no sooner come up to, than a voice which seemed of stentorian power hailed me from the portico with a torrent of words, amongst which what struck me most was, "You have got here but you will never get away again!" My host who had approached to press me to enter his house, seemed to put this off with a smile _not quite easy_; and I declined quitting my horses being determined to see them into the promised stable; but upon expressing this intention the ill omened voice again thundered, "Oh, there is no place for your horses but this,--they will be safe enough,--they cannot _get out_."--"But they are warm," said I; "have had a long pull ever since noon without bait, and will catch cold out of a stable." "Can't help it" was the answer; but just after he added, "to be sure there is a log place, but it has no roof!" My host now again returned to invite me in; and under his assurance that the horses should have every care taken of them, and knowing that my own man would do his best for them, I reluctantly gave up the point; mounted a flight of steps, crossed the Piazza, and entered a room not calculated to make amazement cease. It was spacious, lofty, well-proportioned, and finished in every part in the very best style of workmanship: a good wood fire {105} blazed upon a beautiful polished grate, the appertenances to which were equally handsome; a marble chimney piece, the tables, chairs, the supper table, and lights supported in handsome branches, all which is commonly seen in good houses, was here, surrounded by primæval wilderness; an accomplishment so wonderful that it seemed not to be within any power short of those of necromancy, and when my mind glanced back upon the way we had been led, I might fairly suspect the person who had done it to have some credit at the court of his Satanic Majesty. Such thoughts however were well dispelled by a neat supper, served in a manner corresponding with the appearance of the place; and by the aid of some excellent wine our spirits began to flow as the impressions of the day's adventures were, for a while, lost in social converse. Our host I found to be a man of the world; knowing perfectly well how, and practising that which he knew, to be agreeable;