But the hill, as those who have been at Florence will not have forgotten, is not only an extremely steep, but a shadeless one.

The broad path runs between two wide margins of turf, which are enclosed on either side by thick but not very high shrubberies.

The party sorted themselves into couples, and the men addressed themselves to facilitating as best they might the not slightly fatiguing work before the ladies.

It fell to my lot to give Lady Bulwer my arm.

Before long we were the last and most lagging couple on the path.