"Si, si," said the little gloomy man, as he blew at the wooden logs with good-natured assiduity; "but you women are always chilly. We men are stronger, that is it." And he gave a final puff and positively smiled.
We soon learnt that, in Corsica, the word "lady" was an unknown quantity. Whenever, solicitous of our dignity, we used it in speaking of ourselves or companions, we were generally corrected by the natives, and the word "woman" substituted. "The reason why I cannot tell;" for I fancy Corsicans are above any petty democratic pride of equality; and they usually behave towards our sex with a kind courtesy that is the evident offshoot of the old national virtues of a brave and hospitable race.
CHAPTER XIII.
A THIRTEEN HOURS' DRIVE.
At Corte we bade adieu to our not too fascinating Bastia coachman; and the journey to Ajaccio we performed by diligence.
The diligences that run between Corte and Ajaccio are not numerous, nor very convenient. Only one, going every other day, has a good banquette. The daily diligence, which is a poor stuffy little concern, goes, by way of a Hibernianism, at ten o'clock every night; and all the journey is performed in the dark.
As we, however, came to see the country, we waited for the "diligence de la Concurrence," as the best diligence is called, and engaged the three banquette seats. And very good ones they were, high up behind the coachman's box, and completely open, save for a hood which could be raised or lowered at will. From this place we saw the country well, and the seat was roomy enough for three not very corpulent people.
It is a matter of some difficulty to discover the facts about the Ajaccio diligences. The hotels are in league with one or another of them, and the result is a profound ignorance concerning any but the favoured vehicle, which is not conducive to the comfort of the traveller.
For instance, Madame Pierracci unfortunately favoured the stuffy and banquetteless diligence; she therefore swore by all her household gods that no other was in existence, and that by no possibility could we go at any other time, or by any other conveyance than the night diligence. She even denied the existence of any private vehicles whatever, that would hold our luggage, or more than two persons.
It was only after going out ourselves to make inquiries, that we found that a man of the name of Laurenz would supply a private omnibus to Ajaccio and back for sixty francs; and that M. Dionyse's "diligence de la Concurrence," of which the office was only a few doors from the hotel, ran every other morning to the capital. This is the best diligence in Corsica; and, for the modest sum of eleven francs, you may travel the twelve hours in the banquette, behind very fair horses.
We started about six a.m., changing horses five times, and reaching Ajaccio at seven in the evening; but the journey is not generally so long.