gates, who sat all the day long monopolising his garden. But when he 

 had been properly introduced, he accepted me as a matter of course, 

 ceased to growl when I appeared, and even received me with a certain 

 degree of cordiality, I think he came to look upon me as a slight break 

 in the monotony of his day. We usually arranged to lunch together, and 

 I found him a most useful receptacle for any superfluous provision. We 

 had many tastes and distastes in common ; we both disliked flies of the 

 persistent and buzzing order, and lean lizard-eating cats — especially if they 

 put in an appearance at meal times. On these occasions their presence 

 did not seem to him either necessary or desirable, and no time was wasted 

 in making his wishes known. 



His favourite occupation was to lie out on the warm pavement at 

 the top of the great stair, whence he had an uninterrupted view of 

 the little bay with its fishing-boats. There, too, he could keep an eye on 

 the entrance-gate far below, to which young imps of boys would come, 

 and from which safe vantage-ground they could jeer at him. 



During my visit the gardener was away " doing his soldiering." 

 Luigi, a handsome lad who worked on the podere, could only spare an 

 hour early and late to do the absolutely necessary watering, and had no 

 time to devote to overmuch weeding or " tidying-up." For this mercy 

 I was duly grateful, as the garden was left pretty much to take care of 

 itself For a garden which has been well planted in the first instance a 

 little wholesome neglect is good. A few things may get out of hand and 

 weeds become a trifle rampant ; but how many things are better for 

 being just left alone ! 



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