the far-off valleys, which were dear to them; and the blue mountains
have not crumbled away into ruins. Within Rome itself we can see
nothing as they saw it.

Our party consisted of some dozen or fifteen persons, and as a
hamper with luncheon in it had been left on the grassy slope at the
base of the tomb of Cecilia Metella, the expedition had in it
something of the nature of a picnic. Mrs. Talboys was of course
with us, and Ida Talboys. O'Brien also was there. The hamper had
been prepared in Mrs. Mackinnon's room, under the immediate eye of
Mackinnon himself, and they therefore were regarded as the dominant
spirits of the party. My wife was leagued with Mrs. Mackinnon, as
was usually the case; and there seemed to be a general opinion among
those who were closely in confidence together, that something would
happen in the O'Brien-Talboys matter. The two had been inseparable
on the previous evening, for Mrs. Talboys had been urging on the
young Irishman her counsels respecting his domestic troubles. Sir
Cresswell Cresswell, she had told him, was his refuge. "Why should
his soul submit to bonds which the world had now declared to be
intolerable? Divorce was not now the privilege of the dissolute
rich. Spirits which were incompatible need no longer be compelled
to fret beneath the same cobbles." In short, she had recommended
him to go to England and get rid of his wife, as she would, with a
little encouragement, have recommended any man to get rid of
anything. I am sure that, had she been skilfully brought on to the
subject, she might have been induced to pronounce a verdict against
such ligatures for the body as coats, waistcoats, and trowsers. Her
aspirations for freedom ignored all bounds, and, in theory, there
were no barriers which she was not willing to demolish.