They went in, guided by the abbé, and arrived at a sort of office.
They each paid a lira for a taper which a friar was handing out, and they joined a group of other people, without quite knowing what they expected next. In the group there were two German Dominicans, a tall one whose fiery red beard hung to his waist, and a slim one, with a nose like a knife.
IRREVERENT CICERONE
It was not long before another numerous group of tourists came out of a hole in the floor, and among them was a Trappist brother who came over to where Don Calixto and Cæsar were. The Trappist carried a stick, and a taper twisted in the end of the stick. He asked if everybody understood French; any one that didn’t could wait for another group.
“I don’t understand it,” said the Canon.
“I will translate what he says, to you,” replied Cæsar.
“All right,” answered the Canon.
“En avant, messieurs,” said the Trappist, lighting his taper, and requesting them all to do the same.
They went around giving one another a light, and with their little candles aflame they began to descend into the Catacombs.
They went in by a gallery as narrow as one in a mine, which once in a while broadened into bigger spaces.