"We've been swindleda，my dears，"he said ；"swindledmost beautifully.But I suppose we may as well make the best of it.""Better，"agreed Patsy."This rig is all right，Uncle.Itmay not be as pretty as the other，but I expect that one is onlykept to make engagements with.When it comes to actual use，we don't get it.""That's true enough，"he returned."But I'll get even withathis rascal before I've done with him，never fear."It was a cold，raw morning，but the portiere at the Victoria had told them the sun would be out presently and the day become more genial.Indeed，the sun did come out，but only to give a discouraged look at the landscape and retire again.During this one day in which they rode to Amalfi and back，Uncle John afterward declared that they experienced seven different kinds of weather.They had sunshine，rain，hail，snow and a tornado；and then rain again and more sunshine."Sunny Italy"seemed a m i s n o m e rb that day，as indeed it does many days in winter and spring，when the climate is little better than that prevailing in the eastern and central portions of the United States.And perhaps one suffers more in Italy than in America，owing to the general lack of means to keep warm on cold days.The Italian，shivering and blue，will tell you it is not cold at all，for he will permit no reproach to lie on his beloved land；but the traveller frequently becomes discouraged，and the American contingent，especially，blames those misleading English writers who，finding relief from their own bleak island in Italian climes，exaggerated the conditions by apostrophizing the country as "Sunny Italy"and for more than a centuryuttered such rhapsodiesa in its praise that the whole world credited them—until it acquired personal experience of the matter.
Italy is beautiful；it is charming and delightful；but seldomis this true in winter or early spring.
The horses went along at a spankingb pace that was astonishing.They passed through the picturesque lanes of Sorrento，climbed the further slope，and brought the carriage to the other side of the peninsula，where the girls obtained their ?rst view of the Gulf of Salerno，with the lovely Isles of the Sirens lying just beneath them.
And now they were on the great road that skirts the coast as far as Salerno，and has no duplicate in all the known world.For it is cut from the solid rock of precipitousc cliffs rising straight from the sea，which the highway overhangs at an average height of ?ve hundred feet，the traveller being protected only by a low stone parapet from the vast gulf that yawns beneath.And on the other side of the road the cliffs continue to ascend a like distance toward the sky，their irregular surfaces dotted with wonderful houses that cling to the slopes，and vineyards that look as though they might slip down at any moment upon the heads of timorousd pilgrims.
When it rained they put up the carriage top，whichafforded but partial shelter.The shower was brief，but was shortly followed by hail as big as peas，which threatened to dash in the frail roof of their carrozza.While they shrank huddled beneath the blankets，the sun came out suddenly，and the driver shed his leathern apron，cracked his whip，and began singing merrily as the vehicle rolled over the smooth road.
Our travellers breathed again，and prepared to enjoy oncemore the wonderful vistas that were unfolded at every turn of the winding way.Sometimes they skirted a little cove where，hundreds of feet below，the ?shermen sat before their tiny huts busily mending their nets.From that distance the boats drawn upon the sheltered beach seemed like mere toys.Then they would span a chasma on a narrow stone bridge，or plunge through an arch dividing the solid mountain.But ever the road returned in a brief space to the edge of the sea—cliff，and everywhere it was solid as the hills themselves，and seemingly as secure.
They had just sighted the ancient town of Positano and were circling a gigantic point of rock，when the great adventure of the day overtook them.Without warning the wind came whistling around them in a great gale，which speedily increased in fury until it drove the blinded horses reeling against the low parapet and pushed upon the carriage as if determined to dash it over the precipice.
As it collided against the stone wall the vehicle tipped dangerously，hurling the driver from his seat to dive headforemost into the space beneath.But the man clung to the reins desperately，and they arrested his fall，leaving him dangling at the end of them while the maddened horses，jerked at the bits by the weight of the man，reared and plunged as if they would in any instant tumble themselves and the carriageover the cliff.
At this critical moment a mounted horseman，who unobserved had been following the party，dashed to their rescue.The rider caught the plunging steeds by their heads and tried to restrain their terror，at his own eminent peril，while the carriage lay wedged against the wall and the driver screamed pitifully from his dangerous position midway between sea and sky.
Then Beth slipped from her seat to the flat top of the parapet，stepped boldly to where the reins were pulling upon the terri?ed horses，and seized them in her strong grasp.