The evening came. Not the ghost of an earthquake! A few, here and there, began to turn the thing into ridicule. The syndic—who had a head on his shoulders—had sent a boy to the Pietranera. When the boy returned with Pippo Corradi’s answer, “It’s all nonsense—make your minds easy!” there was an explosion of “Oh!—oh!—oh!” and those who had been most frightened, and felt that they had been made fools of, began to yell, “Imbecile! Blockhead! Idiot!”
They rushed in a tumultuous noisy crowd to the telegraph office; and had they not met with the lieutenant of the Carbineers, who had hastened up on receipt of a cipher telegram from the chief constable, who knows how the matter might have ended for Nino d’Arco?
“What on earth have you been doing?” said the lieutenant. “You have been disturbing the public peace.”
Nino was petrified for a moment; then, seeking to excuse himself by proof positive, pointed to the pendulum.
“Well?” said the lieutenant.
“Look—it moves!”
“You must be seeing double. There is nothing moving here.”
“Do look carefully.”
“Allow me.... Nothing moving!”