Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-10-12
1aNW GAREO ZHEAERE

buOotb up dBdlut LueTe III tuS ulslhuCo
you see a goat milked-at so much
per glass-before the customers very
eyes; yonder is cart full of snails:
other edibles are In sight, and In your
confused conscienceness the smells Of
these mingle with the wellnigh in
terminable cries of the venders, the
chatter of women, the noisomeness of
children.
At last, after long walt, here is
the landlady; a middle-aged, prema-
turely wrinkled woman, with very
shrewd eyes, which examine you with
n curious and careful scrutiny. You
ascend with her laboriously up the
wide stone stairs, made of lava. as we
later discovered-to the fourth story,
and passing along number of curl
GUS long corridors which run mostly
around the areaway Of the skylight.
centered in the building, we come
upon small door, presenting even
more exaggerated diminutive appear
ance because of the jamb that Is sure
ly at least two feet In depth. Your
first feeling is that you are about to
enter a vault. an impression that is
quickly dissipated once you enter the
room, which is very large and even
more amazingly high. Other much
larger doors are here, leading to other
rooms, overhung heavily with curtains
and draperies, leading to the balcony
overlooking two streets.
You HaggIe.
Then begins the haggling about the
price; you are expected, following the
advice of the guidebooks, ito preserve
outwardly a calm demeanor," "Out-
wardly" should be in italics, for GER
tainly inside of you you are boiling
with rage as you watch the voluble
tandlady gesticulating, expostulating,
arguing, haranguing, waxing eloquent,
putting all her facial muscles into
play like an emotional acrtess; and
all of this to impress.you with the
fact that the room is cheap at her
price. You are helpless against the
torrential outpour of words; all you
can do, not knowing the language, Is
to name your price and say "Basta!"
II is an indispensable word, and means
enough" you must say 1t quickly, de-
cisively, leaving no doubt as to your
meaning. Then shake your head and
hedge away to the door--never fear,
she won't let you go. You effect
compromise. andS Immediately you
pay her deposit her face smiles like
the sun after storm Then you are
taken In hand by the porter-oh, yes.
that trunk! Drat that trunkl
That night we returned to our apart
ment a trifie past midnight The por-
ter, sitting In his dark hole by dim
candlelight, opened his eyes drowsily.
We put into his hand 80 centesimi, a
legalized .exaction which Naples en-
forces upon strollers who turn In after
IL o'clock. Those long corridors had
sinister look by night, and this as.
pect of the place was increased by the
dead silence and darkness of the large
house. Upon entering our room we
fastened the door on its fimsy latch.
The feeble flicker of the candle in
that enormous room failed to shed
light In the corners, and the apart.
ment assumed the forbidding charac-
ter OF some great underworld We ex-
amined suspiciously the large doors;
there was no way of knowing whether
they were fastened or not, and from
behind them could, be heard the regu-
lar deep breathing OF some one asleep.
The huge mirrored wardrobe next fell
under our investigation, and that yield
ed neither live Cammorist, nor the
skeleton of victim-but only wom-
ans large hat. Thus reassured, we
undressed. put out the light, and went
to bed. For a long time, however, |
lay thinking what an uncanny place
it was: and visions of the House
OF Usher and the murderous Cam
morists presented themselves before
my eyes. but. thanks to the fatigue of
a strenuous day of sightseeing. these
gradually became blur and finally
were altogether lost in sleep. After
the first night this feeling of appre-
hension wore of After all, Naples is
built up almost entirely of just such
housesl To be sure. there Is the new
quarter. with its large. pretentious-
looking hotels. made to accommodate
English and American visitors--but
Is 10 not in this quarter that Neapol
itan life In to be studied