TWO PROSTITUTES
441
a broken and blackened stone with an inscnptIOn in dog-Latin.
k
they passed this and started down a second flight of stairs they were
greeted by the smell of mingled smoke, wine and mold, together with
a hollow, far-away noise of voices and music from the large and
winding rooms below. From the landing they could see rows of
tables under the low vaults, with people sitting around them over
carafes of wine. Arches, columns, pilasters all contributed to the
imitation of a primitive underground basilica.
"Wonderful!" said Lori, clapping her hands. "It's really old, isn't
it? ...
It
looks like ... what do they call those places where the
ancient Christians used to meet?"
"The catacombs," Giacomo suggested.
"Yes ... the catacombs .. . and to think you've never brought
me here before!" This last remark was addressed to her sister.
"I've never really liked it," said the latter.
The people sitting at the tables watched them go by without
showing the least curiosity. For the most part they were unpretentious
young men and their girls; occasionally a large group drank and
joked noisily, making the vaults echo. Far away, on a bandstand
at the other end of the grotto, three or four violin and cello players
could be seen moving their arms up and down.
"Let's go through here," said Giacomo.
They made their way among the tables of the main room and
through a narrow hall lined with red bricks to a smaller room
decorated in Pompeian style. The purposely unfinished frescoes on
the walls portrayed cupids, satyrs and naked women against a dark
red background and gave the impression of having been scientifically
restored. Over them customers had pencilled their names and various
jokes and exclamations. A wrought-iron lamp hung from the ceiling
and most of the room was occupied by a large table with a few
stools around it. Giacomo sat down at the head of the table with
the older sister to the right and the younger to the left of him.
"What will you have to drink?" he asked.
"Anything at all, as long as it's good," said Lori.
Her sister said she would like a liqueur, but it seemed that
there was none to be had.
"We have red and white Chianti, and Orvieto on tap, and
bottled wines," said the waiter.
