not a
house on the mountain with a fireplace, and only a few with stoves. The
absence of chimneys is a feature of the town, as it is of other Sicilian
towns that can bear their absence better. And these are the people who
commiserate an Englishman on being compelled to live in our cold, damp,
foggy island! In support of my statement that we do occasionally see the
sun, I showed them a picture-postcard of a house in London standing in a
garden. It was midday, but we had to have a lamp to see the picture;
nevertheless they supposed that the flowers were artificial and were
renewed when we had a festa because, of course, real flowers will not
grow in our perpetual fog. I told them that our fogs prevent flowers
from growing in England just as much as their brigands prevent foreigners
from travelling in Sicily, and that both are more spoken of than seen.

It must, however, be admitted that the natives do not appear to suffer
from the effects of their climate. They boast that statistics show them
to be particularly free from pulmonary complaints, and to have an
unusually low death rate. As the doctor said, in a tone of professional
discontent, they enjoy an epidemic of good health.

Supper consisted of maccaroni, bread and wine, and the table-cloth and
napkins were as damp as one's towels after a bath. My two friends sat
with me and introduced me to a student with a slight cast in one of his
melancholy eyes, a misty tenor voice and the facile Italian smile, who
had come up from Castelvetrano to study a little philosophy, and supped
with me.

When it was bedtime, they all three came with Donna Anna into my bedroom
to make sure that I was comfortable and the old landlady took the
opportunity of consulting the accountant about the prisoners. Although
the inhabitants of the province of Trapani are all good people,
nevertheless now and then some slight crime is committed, an occasional
wounding, a simple stabbing or so, and consequently it is convenient to
have a prison handy. Part of the castle on the mountain is used for the
purpose and Donna Anna provides the prisoners with their food and also
sees to their sheets, bedding etc. They could not have a better matron
and if she keeps everything in the prison as clean and good as it is in
her house, I am afraid she may perhaps make the prisoners more
comfortable than they deserve.

When she had disposed of her business she asked whether I should like
some fire in my b