The ninth century saw Saracen invasion, and then it was, no doubt, that the second religious house under Mons Moscius perished from its place.
Thinking over this, I walked away from the cave and climbed again to the railway; my friends also were silent and ruminative.

Not unnaturally, I suspected that a desire for substantial thanks had some part in their Silence, and at a convenient spot I made suitable offering.

It was done, I trust, with all decency, for I knew that I had the better kind of Calabrian to deal with; but neither the jovially intelligent man nor the pleasant simpleton would for a moment entertain this suggestion.

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.