Notwithstanding his general
reserve and curtness of speech, on two or three occasions he showed
himself to possess quite a quick and vivid fancy, and even a certain
share of humor. I have heard him tell stories remarkably well. One
tale, especially, which related to a dream he had in early life, about
a treasure concealed in his father's house, which was thrice repeated,
and made so strong an impression on his mind as to induce him to
batter a certain panel in the library almost to pieces, in vain, but
which received something like a confirmation from the fact, that a
Roman attorney, who rented that and other rooms from the family, after
his father's death, grew suddenly and unaccountably rich,--I remember
as being told with great felicity and vivacity of expression.
His recollections of the trouble and the dangers through which he
had passed with his wife seemed to be overpoweringly painful. On one
occasion, he began to tell me a story of their stay in the mountains:
He had gone out to walk, and had unconsciously crossed the
Neapolitan frontier. Suddenly meeting with a party of the Neapolitan
_gendarmerie_, he was called to account for his trespass, and being
unable to produce any papers testifying to his loyalty, or
the legality of his existence, he was carried off, despite his
protestations, and lodged for the night in a miserable guard-house,
whence he-was taken, next morning, to the head-quarters of the officer
commanding in the neighborhood.
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