r plots--and the title of one of their plays signifies as
little as the title of a London pantomime--I have seldom passed an
evening there without seeing some incident as striking as this return to
the house of death. They know how to do these things with a simplicity
and an apparent unconsciousness of the effect they are producing which
bring with them a strange astonishment.

This was not the corporal's only crime, but to clear up this one it may
be added that the hand of the corpse clutched a button which, in the
struggle, the girl had torn off the man's coat; this led to his
identification, and in prison he met the brigand, who shot him and thus
avenged the murder. I have seen happy endings that were more artificial.

TUESDAY

Compare Turiddu came early to inquire whether I was much alarmed by the
disturbance and to tell me what had happened. A bolide had fallen into
the Catanian sea--he took me to the port and showed me precisely where.

"It was near that ship," he said.

The people had rushed to the cathedral to pray S. Agata to avert further
harm. They also went to the Piazza S. Nicola hoping it might be large
enough to hold them all in case there was an earthquake, for they were
all thinking of Messina. The sailors, believing that what they saw fall
into the sea was the moon, drew their boats up into safety. The sea did
rise, but only eight centimetres, not so much as it would have risen if
the moon had really fallen into it. When the newspapers came out I read
more particulars: that a barber in the Via Lincoln had been so much
frightened that he cut the throat of the customer he was shaving,
fortunately, however, no damage was done as the wound was only skin-deep;
that a woman ran naked into the Via Garibaldi, not having time in her
fright to put any clothes on; that a waiter handing a dish to a lady in
the Birraria Svizzera dropped it on her silk dress, which was ruined; and
that a priest in the Quattro Canti was seen moving his arms like an
electric fan and was heard to exclaim "God save me!" He did not say "God
save us" because he was an egoist.

It should be added that the article was written by Peppino Fazio, who
confessed to me that though these things may have happened he did not see
them. He found them in his imagination. It should perhaps be added
further that he knows his public and is not afraid of being taken
seriously.

I also saw an account of an interview with Professor Ricco