He was to be buried at Pausilippo, and nothing was more in keeping with the practice of the vitiated Neapolitan of that day than that the processions should start side by side. "The French faction are growing very daring," said the priest to the officer of the household who was going to superintend the transportation of the wine to the Ambassador's palace; for, though drink was plentiful in Naples, nothing was too trifling for a Neapolitan to steal. "We shall be blest by your company, my father," replied the officer; and the priest raising his cross and beginning to intone, the bearers took up the coffin, and Will and I and our thirty, having lighted our tapers, fell in, two and two, behind. We then marched out and waited for the carters to start; and a mighty lot of shouting and beating of bulls, horses and asses with billets of wood almost as thick as fire-logs took place to put the tumbrils into motion,--which at last, with a tinkling of brass and a nodding of scarlet plumes, and much jingling of harness-bells, was effected. We passed down Santa Lucia with watchful eyes; for the alleys leading off this had an evil repute, as containing some of the most desperate of the population, and I must say that there was a very uneasy stir, and a great many more cloaked gentlemen half concealed than I should have cared about if I had been alone. But we passed along Santa Lucia without adventure, and round the foot of the great rock of Pizzofalcone, and so up past the end of the Thuilleries towards the British Embassy, intending to part company at the corner of the road which leads to the Grotta and Pausilippo. But when we came into a line with the Grotta we could see in the distance a flare hung from a certain house, and our leader at once became very uneasy. "That is my preconcerted signal," he said, "of a French marauding party. If you will let us, we will accompany you to the Ambassador's house, and my party shall remain there while I go forward and reconnoitre." This was agreed, and presently we found ourselves safely in the courtyard of the Ambassador's great palace, when the household officer having sent up the letter which announced the King's present, My Lady presently came down, and with great sweetness thanked him, and then turned round to the priest to inquire respectfully of the reason of the funeral pageant having entered. On learning, she would not hear of the body being left in the courtyard, but motioned the bearers to take it into a large kind of hall, and then sent them off to have supper with her servants while they were waiting. But we two and our thirty made excuse through Will that we were related to the dead, and were consequently unable to enter a house until he should be solemnly buried.