The humour of Italy; . ng thegenuine ones of the official report, and making a mock ofScience. He, for his own part, did his work seriously andscrupulously, even leaving his dinner when the hour forobservation came; and his reports might be called modelsof scientific accuracy. Ought he to denounce his colleague?to unmask him ? lie could not make up his mind. Thelatter, as bold as brass, went on making his village quakeand tremble, as though it were nothing at all. This time the proverb that lies have short legs did nothold good; for the lies in question reached Tacchini atRome, and Father Denz
The humour of Italy; . ng thegenuine ones of the official report, and making a mock ofScience. He, for his own part, did his work seriously andscrupulously, even leaving his dinner when the hour forobservation came; and his reports might be called modelsof scientific accuracy. Ought he to denounce his colleague?to unmask him ? lie could not make up his mind. Thelatter, as bold as brass, went on making his village quakeand tremble, as though it were nothing at all. This time the proverb that lies have short legs did nothold good; for the lies in question reached Tacchini atRome, and Father Denza at Moncalieri. Perhaps, even,they confused the calculations of those unfortunate scientists,who were very far from suspecting, in the remotest degree,the wickedness of Nino. But one day, all of a sudden, the Golastretta pendulumawoke from its torpor, and began to move behind themagnifying-glass, although to the naked eye its motion wasscarcely perceptible. Nino gave a howl of joy. At last! at last! u6 ITALIAN To the first person whohappened to come intothe office he said, witha majestic sweep of thearm, Look here ! What does it mean? We shall have a bigearthquake! and herubbed his hands. Mercy ! The man, who had felthis head turning roundwith the continued agita-tion of the pendulum, andwas struck with consterna-tion to find that it couldscarcely be perceivedwithout the magnifier,rushed at once to spreadthe terrible news in streets,shops, and cafes. In anhour the telegraph officewas invaded— wished to seewith his or her own eyes,so as to be certain, andthen take a the people who hadseen frightened the otherswith their accounts, exag-gerating matters, givingexplanations more terrify-ing than those they hadreceived and half under-stood, and so increasing RIVAL EARTHQUAKES. 11/ the panic, which now began to seize on the most scepticalspirits. An extraordinary success for Nino dArco ! Heseemed to see before him the image of his colleagu
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwerneral, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1892
