It was now
reduced to an "antique," and looked as though it had been recovered from
the ruins of an ancient temple.
The post was kindly forwarded from Famagousta by the chief commissioner,
and we revelled in newspapers, which during our stay in the Carpas had
been a complete blank. Our cook Christo had also received letters which
disconcerted him. After dinner at about 8.30 P.M. he suddenly appeared
at the tent door with a very large breakfast-cup in his hand. "I beg
your pardon, sir, but I'm sorry to say my mother has just fallen down
and broken her leg!" was his first announcement; and he continued, "she
is an old woman, past fifty, sir, and a broken leg is a very bad thing;
I have come to ask for some brandy, and I've brought a cup."
"Your mother broken her leg, Christo? Why, where is she?" I replied.
"She is at Athens, sir, and I want a drop of brandy, as I have just
received the letter, and I am very anxious about her."
I now discovered that the brandy was not intended for his mother's leg,
but for his own stomach, to comfort his nerves and to allay his filial
anxiety. He had a good dose that quickly restored his usual spirits, as
I heard him relating stories in the servants' tent which created roars
of laughter.
Christo was an excellent, hard-working fellow, who having passed his
life at sea, was exceedingly handy, and combined the usual good
qualities of a sailor with the art of cookery and a certain knowledge
which enabled him to act as interpreter.
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