At Shelley’s Grave: The Ineffable Calico Cat at il Cimitero Straniero

"I'll send for you."
So I said, most impractically, to the obliging calico cat with yellow eyes, as we turned to depart the old Protestant Cemetery, that walled oasis of green quietude in the midst of hurried, cacophonous Rome. She had materialized, Ariel-like, just as we were running short of time to find Shelley's grave, having somehow gotten lost amidst the crowded maze of old gravestones near the ancient pyramid of Cestius. Presto, the calico, presented herself as our spontaneous mascot and guide.
"Take us to Shelley's grave," I said half jokingly to our newfound feline friend. Momentaril...