along the appian way , they aped and gargoyled her , feigning interest in one treasure , forsaking another , darting their sweet , little , romantic glances at their intended victim whenever in an unguarded moment hers met theirs ; sitting down to scratch a flee - if harper turned round , to melt into olive bushes ; or , when ms. cranberrys spinsterish glower cut across their path , to leap behind the arch of titus like characters out of some black and white disney cartoon .