No doubt the greater part of the poor people were in bed by eight o'clock every evening; only those who had dealings in the outer world were stirring when the _diligenza_ arrived about ten, and I suspect that some of these snatched a nap before that late hour.
Throughout the day there sounded from the piazza a ceaseless clamour of voices, such a noise as in England would only rise from some excited crowd on a rare occasion; it was increased by reverberations from the colonnade which runs all round in front of the shops.

When the north-east gale had passed over, there ensued a few days of sullen calm, permitting the people to lead their ordinary life in open air.

I grew to recognize certain voices, those of men who seemingly had nothing to do but to talk all day long.

Only the sound reached me; I wish I could have gathered the sense of these interminable harangues and dialogues.

In every country and every age those talk most who have least to say that is worth saying.