"Good day, sir."

"Good day," I replied, "but I do not recognise you."

He said, "Toto. Messina."

"It is not possible! You were only thirteen at Messina, and how old are
you now?"

"Eighteen."

"How have you managed to become five years older in eighteen months? Is
it an effect of the earthquake?"

"I was sixteen at Messina."

"Then why did that stupid big waiter say you were only thirteen?"

"Ah! well, he is dead now."

I thought of the fate of Ananias and said: "Poor fellow! Do you remember
how angry he was when I wanted to give him my knife and said those words
from _Omerta_?"

"Yes, but he was not really angry with you, he was only pretending."

"No, Toto! Not really? Do you mean he was acting?"

"Yes. I thought you understood. He was always like that, full of fun,
not stupid at all. He was a good man and very kind to me." And poor
Toto's eyes filled with tears.

So it was someone else who had been stupid, and I left off thinking of
Ananias and began to think of those eighteen upon whom the Tower of
Siloam fell.

Toto told me that he was sleeping at home when the earthquake woke him
up, and that he and the others in his house ran out naked as they were
into the street and saw the house fall; they were only just in time. His
father, who was in Reggio, was saved, but one of his sisters was killed
with her husband and three children.

This is all the conversation I had with Toto in Catania; next day on my
inquiring for him they told me he had caught cold and had not come to the
Albergo. I left without seeing him again and next time I was in Catania
they told me he had gone away and they did not know his address.
Possibly he has disappeared for ever, but it is more probable that, like
other meteoric bodies, he will cross my path again some day.

TURIDDU BALISTRIERI

Among the members of Giovanni's company whose acquaintance I made during
my week in Messina were two ladies who acted under their maiden names,
viz. Marinella Bragaglia and Carolina Balistrieri; the first is married
to Vittorio Marazzi and the second to Corrado Bragaglia, Corrado being
the brother of Marinella. I also often saw in the theatre Turiddu
(Salvatore) Balistrieri, brother of Carolina and therefore brother-in-law
to Corrado and brother-in-law by marriage (or whatever the correct
expression may be and, if there is no correct expression, then compare di
parentela) to Vittorio and Marinella Marazzi. He wa