pavement, and after about an hour's delay, brought out a
miserable dislocated carriage and two broken-winded horses.

"Under any other circumstances the Prince would have been
generous--would have been lavish; but he had insisted upon his
right, he was resolved not to be conquered. Into this
ill-conditioned vehicle he therefore doggedly entered, and as
the new driver had been forewarned that there would be no
_buona-mano_, the equipage started amidst the laughter and
jeers of the mob.

"This time the horses were such wretched animals that it would
have been out of conscience to expect anything more than a walk
from them. It took six more hours to go from Pontedera to
Empoli.

"Arrived at Empoli the driver stopped, and presented himself at
the door of the carriage.

"'Your excellence sleeps here,' said he to the prince.

"'How! are we at Florence?'

"'No, your excellence, you are at the charming little town of
Empoli.'

"'I paid twelve piastres to your master to go to Florence, not
to Empoli. I will sleep at Florence.'

"'Where is the paper?'