And then it flashed across me what all the noise was about; and I burst out laughing and said "It is only an earthquake," and went to bed Next morning I inquired whether any one had heard a noise.

No, nobody had heard anything.

And the driver who had brought me up the valley only winked, but did not choose to speak.

At last at breakfast I asked the pretty little maid who waited what was the meaning of the noise I heard in the night, and she answered, to my intense amusement, "Ah! bah! ce n'etait qu'un tremblement de terre; il y en a ici toutes les six semaines." Now the secret was out.

The little maid, I found, came from the lowland far away, and did not mind telling the truth: but the good people of the place were afraid to let out that they had earthquakes every six weeks, for fear of frightening visitors away: and because they were really very good people, and very kind to me, I shall not tell you what the name of the place is.
Of course after that I could do no less than ask Madam How, very civilly, how she made earthquakes in that particular place, hundreds of miles away from any burning mountain?
And this was the answer I _thought_ she gave, though I am not so conceited as to say I am sure.
As I had come up the valley I had seen that the cliffs were all beautiful gray limestone marble; but just at this place they were replaced by granite, such as you may see in London Bridge or at Aberdeen.