human
What's up?
gpt
A poor old man was terribly injured while passing the house this morning; his donkey slipped on a rolling stone and fell, and the man was thrown from his two-wheeled cart with great violence. Peppino was out apparently--I can't imagine where, at that hour, as it's not his day for going to town.
human
He was down at the pond washing the dog; I was with him.
gpt
That explains it. Modesta, therefore, having the field to herself, absolutely refused to allow them to bring the poor creature in here; she let him go in a jolting wagon down to Tre Ponti, telling me nothing whatever about it. What makes it worse is that the man is a contadino who used to work for me; he worked for me, in fact, until he grew too old to work anywhere.
human
Probably she has some reason for disliking him.
gpt
On the contrary, she likes him; I happen to know it. And she has a very soft heart for old people, for all kinds of infirmity and suffering. She will fly down to see him upon the very first opportunity; she will rob herself to take him the best food and wine, and everything else she can think of; she will take the very pillows from her bed! She had cried her eyes out over him, that was evident. With her yarn about the pepper!
human
But why in the world, then--
gpt
Simply because her idea is never to speak of unpleasant subjects to her superiors if she can possibly avoid it; if forced to tell something of the truth, she envelops it in roundabout, optimistic phrases that would deceive even Solomon! But you'll hear for yourself. I'll translate what she says afterwards.
human
Two men are coming to-day to work in the olive-grove, said Dennison;
gpt
Almost well, as lordship can behold. It was too much carelessness--mine--with that pepper!
human
Pepper, indeed; I feel peppery myself, replied Dennison.
gpt
Why didn't you tell me about the man who was injured here this morning?
human
Eh--lordship has heard? It was a slight accident.
gpt
His leg and his arm were broken, and you know it. Also his head was cut.
human
Most surely that is an error. It was a sprain, a wrench; nothing more.
gpt
But I have seen him myself. And it was old Niccolo.
human
Lordship has seen him? It is possible that it was Niccolo; I did not observe closely.
gpt
You should have come to my door and wakened me, instead of taking it upon yourself to give orders,
human
Oh! exclaimed the waitress, with a vivid expression of repugnance in her eyes.
gpt
Waken lordship to tell him of a trouble--a misfortune like that? What, then, would become of his repose--his tranquillity?
human
You need not concern yourself about my tranquillity, answered Dennison. But he gave it up.
gpt
You may go, he said.
human
Stay a minute, he added;
gpt
I have provided a nurse for Niccolo, and a doctor, and he is to be paid so much a day for the best food and wine; he will therefore require nothing from you.
human
Save my compassion, answered the waitress, the tears now rolling freely down her cheeks, and reddening her eyes anew.
gpt
And that I give with all my heart! She lifted a corner of her apron to wipe away the drops.
human
It was sad to see--the masters can imagine! So old a man, and feeble. His white hair in the dust. But he knew me when I ran out. I wept much.
gpt
How about the pepper?
human
The whole thing seems to her only the most ordinary duty to me, said Dennison, after she had gone.
gpt
And if I had not happened to see Niccolo with my own eyes, she would have stuck to her lie to the judgment-day. Personally it was dreadful to her to send him away; she would have liked nothing better than to have him here, in one of those cool rooms off the court, where she could coddle him to her heart's content.
human
Do you know, then, _I_ think what she did was in one way charming, said Gray.
gpt
All these Italian peasants seem to me to have the most wonderful civility; their manners are always agreeable; they are almost polished. Think of the manners of--
human
I refuse to think of anything; the discoveries made by you new-comers are only exceeded by your conceit. For a thorough knowledge of the Italian character give me the man who has spent, in all, six weeks in Italy?
gpt
There's a powwow to-night, to celebrate something or other, at one of the poderes about a mile from here. Modesta is going if I give her permission. If I do, she won't be back until after midnight, and the table service at dinner will therefore be at sixes and sevens. As the day is so fine, we might take it for a drive to that tower on the mountain--the one which is adorned, according to you, with a winding outside stairway!
human
There certainly is a stairway,
gpt
And then we could get something in the way of a dinner at a little summer hotel, which is already open for the season. There is a moon for the drive back, and we could stop and have a look at the powwow before coming home--as you're so athirst for everything Tuscan.
human
Excellent. Jar!
gpt
Jar? What jar?
human
Jar. Jarr, then, since you say I always cut my r's. _You_ ought to know Italian when you hear it. Jar is what they all say to me when they mean yes.
gpt
You ridiculous object, 'già' is the word.
human
That's exactly what I said: jar.