 he derives his
subsistence—holding no communion of speech without the permission of
the superior, except on three great festivals in the year, and never
permitted to go beyond the walls of the convent—have voluntarily
delivered themselves to a foretaste of the silence and confinement of
the tomb.




CHAPTER XXIV.

   The bishop's palace at Umana—Inroad of beggars—The grotto of
     the slaves—The physician's political remarks—Approach to
     Loretto—Bad reputation of its inhabitants—Invitation from the
     Canonico.


An hour's quick walking brought us to Umana, where carriages were to
be in readiness to convey us across the country to Loretto. Formerly
of some importance as an episcopal see, Umana is now reduced to a mere
harbour for fishing-boats; still, however, containing some handsome
though half-ruined buildings, and having its grass-grown piazza, dingy
_caffè_, and aristocratic loungers. The bishopric has been merged
into that of Ancona, but the palace yet remains, in readiness for an
occasional pastoral visitation. We had been courteously promised we
should find it open for our reception; and dusty, tired, and hungry, we
were glad to cross its threshold. But before allowing us to sit down,
the old couple who had charge of the palazzo insisted on conducting us
through all the apartments, that we might see the best accommodation
they had to offer was placed at our disposal. Accordingly, we were
forced to perambulate long corridors and innumerable rooms full of
doors, opening one into the other, through which it seemed vain to
search for one that was not simply a passage to the rest. The brick
floors were sunken and uneven; and the furniture, which consisted
of tarnished mirrors, high-backed stamped-leather chairs, carved
worm-eaten tables, with discoloured gilding, all looked faded and
decaying. The beds, with their heavy brocaded quilts, canopies,
and hangings, did not look particularly inviting; but in the total
absence of sofas, they served for an hour or two of repose: after
which, 