" "Yes, it
was bad, if it were a family failing." "So one evening father said to
me: 'Your aunt has written to us from Rome, to ask whether you will pay
her a visit of a few days.' And he showed me a false letter. Aunt cannot
write and knew nothing about any letter. I did not want to, much, said I
would not, but came here all the same, and found that I was to stay
here, and that mother did not want me to have Peppe. So I began to cry,
and for five whole days I cried all the time and would neither eat nor
drink. Then I thought to myself: It is all over between Peppe and me.
Shall I cry myself to death for a man? So I left off crying, and very
soon forgot all about him. And after a week's time I did not care
anything about the whole matter, and sang and was happy, and now I want
to stay in Rome always."
Last night I got up for a little, read with Filomena, and determined to
go in and have supper with the family in their little room. Filomena
opened the door wide, and called out along the corridor:
_"Eccolo!"_ and then such a welcome as there was for the invalid,
now that he had at last got up! and I was obliged to drink two large
beer-glasses of the home-grown wine. First Maria told how it was that I
had always had everything so punctually whilst I was ill. It was because
Filomena had made the little boy from the _cafe_ believe that I was
going to give him my watch when I got well, if he never let anything get
cold.
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