Probablyourcoachmanthoughtthat，havingarunawaycoupletodrive，heoughttomakesomepretence，atleast，offearingpursuit;forhesetoffatsuchafuriouspacethatourfourhalf-starvedhorsesweresoonbeat，andwehadtoperformtheremainderofthelong，hot，dustyjourneyatafoot’space。Ihaveforgottenhowwemadethetimepass。
Ithinkwesleptagooddeal。IknowwewerebothverytiredandatriflecrosswhenintheeveningwereachedLongarone，asmall，poverty-strickenvillage，onthevergeofthatdolomiteregionwhich，intheselatterdays，hasbecomesofrequentedbysummertourists。
Touristsusuallyleaveintheirwakesomeoftheadvantagesaswellasthedrawbacksofcivilisation;andprobablythereisnowarespectablehotelatLongarone。Isuppose，therefore，thatImaysay，withoutriskoflayingmyselfopentoanactionforslander，thatamorefilthydenthanthe/osteria/beforewhichmychargeandIalightednoimagination，howeverdisordered，couldconceive。Itwasavast，dismalbuilding，whichhaddoubtlessbeenthepalaceofsomerichcitizenoftherepublicindaysofyore，butwhichhadnowfallenintodishonouredoldage。Itswindowsandoutsideshuttersweretightlyclosed，andhadbeenso，apparently，fromtimeimmemorial;avilesmellofrancidoilandgarlicpervadeditineverypart;thecornicesofitshuge，bareroomswerefestoonedwithblackenedcobwebs，andthedustanddirtofageshadbeensufferedtoaccumulateuponthestonefloorsofitscorridors。Thesignorinatuckedupherpetticoatsasshepickedherwayalongthepassagestoherbedroom，whileIremainedbehindtoorderdinnerofthesulky，black-browedpadronatowhomI
hadalreadyhadtoexplainthatmycompanionandIwerenotmanandwife，andwho，Ifear，hadconsequentlyconceivednoveryhighopinionofus。Happilythepriesthadalreadybeenwarnedbytelegramthathisservicewouldnotberequireduntilthemorrow;soIwassparedthenuisanceofaninterviewwithhim。
Afteratimewesatdowntoourtete-a-tetedinner。Suchadinner！