Note: Translator Pauline Bancroft Flach died in 1966, less than 70 years ago. Therefore, this work is protected by copyright, restricting your legal rights to reproduce it. However, you are welcome to view it on screen, as you do now. Read more about copyright.
Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Third book - II. In Palermo
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
IN PALERMO
329
II
IN PALERMO
At last, at last, it is one o’clock at night. Those
who are afraid to oversleep rise from their beds,
dress themselves and go out into the street.
And those who have sat and hung over a caf£
table till now start up when they hear steps echo on
the stone pavements. They shake the drowsiness
from their bodies and hurry out. They mingle in
the swiftly increasing stream of people, and the
heavy feet of Time begin to move a little faster.
Mere acquaintances press each other’s hands with
heartfelt warmth. It is plain that the same
enthusiasm fills all souls. And the most absurd people
are out; old university professors, distinguished
noblemen and fine ladies, who otherwise never set
their foot in the street. They are all equally
joyous.
“ God! God! that he is coming, that Palermo is to
have him back again!” they say.
The Palermo students, who have not moved from
their usual headquarters in Quattro Canti all night,
have provided torches and colored lanterns. They
were not to be lighted till four o’clock, when the
man they expected was to come; but about two
o’clock one or two of them begin to try whether
their torches burn well. Then they light
everything and greet the flames with cheers. It is impos-
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>