Official time-bills of the month marked a train for Metaponto at
4.56 A.M., and this I decided to take, as it seemed probable that I
might find a stay of some hours sufficient, and so be able to resume
my journey before night. I asked the waiter to call me at a quarter
to four. In the middle of the night (as it seemed to me) I was
aroused by a knocking, and the waiter's voice called to me that, if
I wished to leave early for Metaponto, I had better get up at once,
as the departure of the train had been changed to 4.15--it was now
half-past three. There ensued an argument, sustained, on my side,
rather by the desire to stay in bed this cold morning than by any
faith in the reasonableness of the railway company. There must be a
mistake! The _orario_ for the month gave 4.56, and how could the
time of a train be changed without public notice? Changed it was,
insisted the waiter; it had happened a few days ago, and they had
only heard of it at the hotel this very morning. Angry and
uncomfortable, I got my clothes on, and drove to the station, where
I found that a sudden change in the time-table, without any regard
for persons relying upon the official guide, was taken as a matter
of course.
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