A terrific shower forced them, however, soon to rush to the nearest shelter, which consisted of a large rough-looking wooden house beside the road.
Entering within the doorway, they stood in a deserted passage, full of logs of wood, and from one end of which ran a tall wooden ladder—the family staircase up to the habited rooms. Down this ladder, presently, peered several small pairs of bright eyes, soon augmented by a detachment of female faces, all grinning and curious, but retreating hastily when we showed signs of advancing.
After a time, however, one, bolder than the rest, beckoned us hospitably upstairs; and, rather curious to see the family ménage, up the steep ladder we went.
We found a low dark room, almost unfurnished, save for two or three wooden stools, on which, and on the floor before the hearth, sat four or five women, and as many children, enjoying the blaze of the log fire.
Their gossip appeared very merry, and they fell into shrieks of laughter over the attempted Italian of Nos. 2 and 3. Of French they could neither speak nor understand a single word, except one woman, who with many smiles offered us each a stool before the fire, remarking with much dignity, "Moi, je suis le maître de cette maison. Ceux-la," pointing to her group of friends, "sont les femmes des cantonniers!"
There was a great deal of laughter over our endeavours to parcel out the right children to the right mothers, and a positive refusal at first to accept the few sous we brought out as a thankoffering for the fire and shelter.
The difference between the Corsican men and women often struck us; the former so grave, reticent, and thoughtful; the latter so merry, gay, and careless.
On the road back to Ajaccio, Antonio became communicative, and talked of many things.
Sartene, he said, was not famous for its peaceable character in this somewhat unpeaceable island. In Sartene the fashionable weapon, however, is no firearm, but a heavy knobbed stick akin to an Irishman's shillelagh.
Nearly every man carries one of these, as we had noticed, underneath his arm, but with no idle idea of assistance in walking.