This was my first failure.

I confess I was weak enough to feel a little dispirited when I rejoined Monkton and the guide.
After the heat of the day was over we resumed our journey.
About three miles from the village, the road, or rather cart-track, branched off in two directions.

The path to the right, our guide informed us, led up among the mountains to a convent about six miles off.

If we penetrated beyond the convent we should soon reach the Neapolitan frontier.

The path to the left led far inward on the Roman territory, and would conduct us to a small town where we could sleep for the night.