They refused with entire dignity
--grave, courteous, firm-and as soon as I had apologized, which I
did not without emphasis, we were on the same terms as before; with
handshaking, we took kindly leave of each other. Such self-respect
is the rarest thing in Italy south of Rome, but in Calabria I found
it more than once.
By when I had walked back to the station, hunger exhausted me. There
was no buffet, and seemingly no place in the neighbourhood where
food could be purchased, but on my appealing to the porter I learnt
that he was accustomed to entertain stray travellers in his house
hard by, whither he at once led me. To describe the room where my
meal was provided would be sheer ingratitude: in my recollection it
compares favourably with the _Albergo Nazionale_ of Squillace. I had
bread, salame, cheese, and, heaven be thanked, wine that I could
swallow--nay, for here sounds the note of thanklessness, it was
honest wine, of which I drank freely. Honest, too, the charge that
was made; I should have felt cheap at ten times the price that
sudden accession of bodily and mental vigour.
Pages:
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209