Greek Monks, Who Through The Darkest Age Were Skilful Copyists, Continued In Calabria The Memorable Work Of Cassiodorus. The Ninth Century Saw Saracen Invasion, And Then It Was, No Doubt, That The Second Religious House Under Mons Moscius Perished From Its Place.

Thinking over this, I walked away from the cave and climbed again to the railway; my friends also were silent and ruminative.

Not unnaturally, I suspected that a desire for substantial thanks had some part in their Silence, and at a convenient spot I made suitable offering. It was done, I trust, with all decency, for I knew that I had the better kind of Calabrian to deal with; but neither the jovially intelligent man nor the pleasant simpleton would for a moment entertain this suggestion. They refused with entire dignity - grave, courteous, firm-and as soon as I had apologized, which I did not without emphasis, we were on the same terms as before; with handshaking, we took kindly leave of each other. Such self-respect is the rarest thing in Italy south of Rome, but in Calabria I found it more than once.

By when I had walked back to the station, hunger exhausted me. There was no buffet, and seemingly no place in the neighbourhood where food could be purchased, but on my appealing to the porter I learnt that he was accustomed to entertain stray travellers in his house hard by, whither he at once led me. To describe the room where my meal was provided would be sheer ingratitude:

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