In some measure my efforts at kindly speech succeeded, and her "Ah, Cristo!" as she turned to go away, was not without a touch of solace.
Another time my hostess fell foul of the waiter, because he had brought me goat's milk which was very sour.

There ensued the most comical scene.

In an access of fury the stout woman raged and stormed; the waiter, a lank young fellow, with a simple, good-natured face, after trying to explain that he had committed the fault by inadvertence, suddenly raised his hand, like one about to exhort a congregation, and exclaimed in a tone of injured remonstrance, "_Un po' di calma! Un po' di calma!_" My explosion of laughter at this inimitable utterance put an end to the strife.

The youth laughed with me; his mistress bustled him out of the room, and then began to inform me that he was weak in his head.

Ah! she exclaimed, her life with these people! what it cost her to keep them in anything like order! When she retired, I heard her expectorating violently in the corridor; a habit with every inmate of this genial hostelry.
When the worst of my fever had subsided, the difficulty was to obtain any nourishment suitable to my state.