"One does not like to see one's beasts die like that, for after all one is fond of them."
We arrived after dark, and ordered supper for three. The inn lady was scandalized.
"But that is a common soldier," she said. "There are many fine folk in the dining-room, arrived to-day. The General—"
So we dined upon the landing.
The next day we got up very early, went down to the dining-room and found it was full of sleeping forms; we had coffee in our room.
We wandered round the market. It was still too early, people were arriving and spreading their wares, men were hanging bright carpets on the white walls. Beggars were everywhere, exhibiting their gains in front of them. If one could understand they seemed to cry like this—
"Ere y'are, the old firm; put your generous money on the real thing. I 'as more misery to the square inch than any other 'as to the square yard."
We found bargaining impossible, as they only spoke Albanian, and we could only get as far as "Sar," how much.
Pavlovitch turned up later and was very helpful. We hurried him to a silver shop which was displaying a round silver boss. He beat them down from sixteen to ten dinars, after which we plunged into a side street filled with women squatted cross-legged behind a collection of everything that an industrious woman who owns sheep can confection.
"I have nothing for thee," said an old woman to Jo, who peered into her basket—Pavlovitch translating.