AMALIA. Come right in, Signora Frola! (_She takes the old lady's hand and begins the introductions_). Mrs. Sirelli, a good friend of mine; Signora Cini; my husband; Mr. Sirelli; and this is my daughter, Dina; my brother Lamberto Laudisi. Please take a chair, Signora! SIGNORA FROLA. Oh, I am so very, very sorry! I have come to excuse myself for having been so negligent of my social duties. You, Signora Agazzi, were so kind, so very kind, to have honored me with a first call--when really it was my place to leave my card with you! AMALIA. Oh, we are just neighbors, Signora Frola! Why stand on ceremony? I just thought that you, being new in town and all alone by yourself, would perhaps like to have a little company. SIGNORA FROLA. Oh, how very kind of you it was! SIGNORA SIRELLI. And you are quite alone, aren't you? SIGNORA FROLA. Oh no! No! I have a daughter, married, though she hasn't been here very long, either. SIRELLI. And your daughter's husband is the new secretary at the prefecture, Signor Ponza, I believe? SIGNORA FROLA. Yes, yes, exactly! And I hope that Signor Agazzi, as his superior, will be good enough to excuse me--and him, too! AGAZZI. I will be quite frank with you, madam! I was a bit put out. SIGNORA FROLA (_interrupting_). And you were quite right! But I do hope you will forgive him. You see, we are still--what shall I say--still so upset by the terrible things that have happened to us.... AMALIA. You went through the earthquake, didn't you? SIGNORA SIRELLI. And you lost all your relatives? SIGNORA FROLA. Every one of them! All our family--yes, madam. And our village was left just a miserable ruin, a pile of bricks and stones and mortar. SIRELLI. Yes, we heard about it. SIGNORA FROLA. It wasn't so bad for me, I suppose. I had only one sister and her daughter, and my niece had no family. But my poor son-in-law had a much harder time of it. He lost his mother, two brothers, and their wives, a sister and her husband, and there were two little ones, his nephews. SIRELLI. A massacre! SIGNORA FROLA. Oh, one doesn't forget such things! You see, it sort of leaves you with your feet off the ground. AMALIA. I can imagine. SIGNORA SIRELLI. And all over-night with no warning at all! It's a wonder you didn't go mad. SIGNORA FROLA. Well, you see, we haven't quite gotten our bearings yet; and we do things that may seem impolite, without in the least intending to. I hope you understand! AGAZZI. Oh please, Signora Frola, of course! AMALIA. In fact it was partly on account of your trouble that my daughter and I thought we ought to go to see you first.