Excepting
the good Sculco, my chambermaid was altogether the most civilized
person I met at Cotrone. He had a singular amiability of nature, and
his boyish spirits were not yet subdued by the pestilent climate. If
I thanked him for anything, he took off his cap, bowed with comical
dignity, and answered "_Grazie a voi, Signore_." Of course these
people never used the third person feminine of polite Italian. Dr.
Sculco did so, for I had begun by addressing him in that manner, but
plainly it was not familiar to his lips. At the same time there
prevailed certain forms of civility, which seemed a trifle
excessive. For instance, when the Doctor entered my room, and I gave
him "_Buon giorno_," he was wont to reply, "_Troppo gentile_!"--
too kind of you!
My newspaper boy came regularly for a few days, always complaining
of feverish symptoms, then ceased to appear. I made inquiry: he was
down with illness, and as no one took his place I suppose the
regular distribution of newspapers in Cotrone was suspended. When
the poor fellow again showed himself, he had a sorry visage; he sat
down by my bedside (rain dripping from his hat, and mud, very thick,
upon his boots) to give an account of his sufferings.
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