governor, who was fond of a glass of brandy and water and a cigar, as the new acquaintance also was—­no, I remember, he was fond of gin and water, and did not smoke.  I don’t think he had so much influence over the young ladies as the other priest, which was, perhaps, owing to his not being so good-looking; but I am sure he had more influence with the governor, owing, doubtless, to his bearing him company in drinking mixed liquors, which the other priest did not do.

’He was a strange fellow, that same new acquaintance of ours, and unlike all the priests I saw in that country, and I saw plenty of various nations; they were always upon their guard, and had their features and voice modulated; but this man was subject to fits of absence, during which he would frequently mutter to himself, then, though he was perfectly civil to everybody, as far as words went, I observed that he entertained a thorough contempt for most people, especially for those whom he was making dupes.  I have observed him whilst drinking with our governor, when the old man’s head was turned, look at him with an air which seemed to say, “What a thundering old fool you are”; and at our young ladies, when their backs were turned, with a glance which said distinctly enough, “You precious pair of ninnyhammers”; and then his laugh—­he had two kinds of laughs—­one which you could hear, and another which you could only see.  I have seen him laugh at our governor and the young ladies, when their heads were turned away, but I heard no sound.  My mother had a sandy cat, which sometimes used to open its mouth wide with a mew which nobody could hear, and the silent laugh of that red-haired priest used to put me wonderfully in mind of the silent mew of my mother’s sandy-red cat.  And then the other laugh, which you could hear; what a strange laugh that was, never loud, yes, I have heard it tolerably loud.  He once passed near me, after having taken leave of a silly English fellow—­a limping parson of the name of Platitude, who, they said, was thinking of turning Papist, and was much in his company; I was standing behind the pillar of a piazza, and as he passed he was laughing heartily.  O he was a strange fellow, that same red-haired acquaintance of ours!

’After we had been at Rome about six weeks our old friend the priest of Naples arrived, but without his subordinate, for whose services he now perhaps thought that he had no occasion.  I believe he found matters in our family wearing almost as favourable an aspect as he could desire:  with what he had previously taught them and shown them at Naples and elsewhere, and with what the red-haired confederate had taught them and shown them at Rome, the poor young ladies had become quite handmaids of superstition, so that they, especially the youngest, were prepared to bow down to anything, and kiss anything, however vile and ugly, provided a priest commanded them; and as for the old governor, what with the influence which