ry to say that at the time this touch of humour
made no appeal to me; my position was no laughing matter. Faint with
hunger, I saw at once that I should have to browse on fearsome food. I
saw, too, that there was scarce a possibility of passing the night in
this place; I must drive down to the sea-shore, and take my chance of a
train which would bring me at some time to Reggio. While I thus
reflected--the water rushing over my boots--a very ill-looking man came
forth and began to stare curiously at me. I met his eye, but he offered
no greeting. A woman joined him, and the two, quite passive, waited to
discover my intentions.

Eat I must, so I stepped forward and asked if I could have a meal.
Without stirring, the man gave a sullen assent. Could I have food at
once? Yes, in a few minutes. Would they show me--the dining room? Man
and woman turned upon their heels, and I followed. The entrance led
into a filthy kitchen; out of this I turned to the right, went along a
passage upon which opened certain chamber doors, and was conducted into
a room at the end--for the nonce, a dining-room, but at ordinary times
a bedroom. Evidently the kitchen served for native guests; as a
foreigner I was treated with more ceremony. Left alone till my meal
should be ready, I examined the surroundings. The floor was of worn
stone, which looked to me like the natural foundation of the house; the
walls were rudely plastered, cracked, grimed, and with many a deep
chink; as for the window, it admitted light, but, owing to the aged
dirt which had gathered upon it, refused any view of things without
save in two or three places where the glass was broken; by these
apertures, and at every point of the framework, entered a sharp wind.
In one corner stood an iron bedstead, with mattress and bedding in a
great roll upon it; a shaky deal table and primitive chair completed
the furniture. Ornament did not wholly lack; round the walls hung a
number of those coloured political caricatures (several indecent) which
are published by some Italian newspapers, and a large advertisement of
a line of emigrant ships between Naples and New York. Moreover, there
was suspended in a corner a large wooden crucifix, very quaint, very
hideous, and black with grime.

Spite of all this, I still debated with myself whether to engage the
room for the night. I should have liked to stay; the thought of a sunny
morning here on the height strongly allured me, and it seemed a shame