"You were lucky to be able to go all the way by char-a-banc," commented
Mrs. Cameron. "Dad and I went there on our honeymoon, years and years
ago, and traveled all the way from Naples by a terrible little jolting
train that carried cattle-trucks and luggage-trucks as well as passenger
carriages. I shan't ever forget that journey. We had to leave the
station at 6.30 and when we came downstairs we found it was a pouring
wet day. It was only the fact that the sleepy looking waiter at our
hotel must have roused himself at 5 A.M. to prepare our coffee, and that
we did not like to ask him to do it again another morning, that forced
us to set off in the rain. I never felt so disinclined for an excursion
in my life. Dad said afterwards if I'd given him the least hint he'd
have joyfully relinquished it, but each thought the other wanted to go,
so off we set. All the way to Cava it simply streamed, and we sat in our
corners of the carriage secretly calling ourselves idiots, and wondering
how we were going to look over temples in a deluge. But our heroism was
rewarded, for just as the train crossed the brigand's marsh the rain
stopped and the sun shone out, and the effect of blue sky and clouds was
simply glorious. We had a great joke at Paestum. A mosquito had stung me
badly on one lid so that I looked as if I had a black eye. It was most
uncomfortable and painful, I remember. Well, a party of French tourists
were going round the temples, and as they passed us they glanced at my
eye and then at Daddy--a husband of three weeks' standing--and they
murmured something to one another. I couldn't catch their words, but
quite plainly they were saying: 'Oh, these dreadful English! He's
evidently given her a black eye, poor thing! That's how they treat their
wives!'
"The French people went on to the second temple, and Dad and I sat down
to eat our lunch. We were fearfully annoyed by dogs that sat in front of
us and watched every mouthful, and barked incessantly. (Did they trouble
you too! How funny! They must surely be the descendants of our dogs
who've inherited a bad habit.) Dad got so utterly exasperated that he
said he must and would get rid of them, so he seized my umbrella, shook
it furiously at them and yelled out '_Va via_' in the most awful and
blood-curdling voice he could command. Just at that moment the French
tourists came back round the corner. They turned to one another with
nods of comprehension, as if they were saying, 'There! Didn't I tell you
so! See what a brute he really is,' and they cast the most sympathetic
glances at me as they filed by. Isn't that true, Daddy?"
Mr. Cameron lazily removed his cigarette.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account