It happened so many times that
Dthemetri's orders in respect to these matters were frustrated by
the deaths of the tradespeople and others whom he employed, that at
last I became quite accustomed to the peculiar manner which he
assumed when he prepared to announce a new death to me. The poor
fellow naturally supposed that I should feel some uneasiness at
hearing of the "accidents" which happened to persons employed by
me, and he therefore communicated their deaths as though they were
the deaths of friends. He would cast down his eyes and look like a
man abashed, and then gently, and with a mournful gesture, allow
the words, "Morto, signor," to come through his lips. I don't know
how many of such instances occurred, but they were several, and
besides these (as I told you before), my banker, my doctor, my
landlord, and my magician all died of the plague. A lad who acted
as a helper in the house which I occupied lost a brother and a
sister within a few hours. Out of my two established donkey-boys,
one died. I did not hear of any instance in which a plague-
stricken patient had recovered.
Going out one morning I met unexpectedly the scorching breath of
the kamsin wind, and fearing that I should faint under the horrible
sensations which it caused, I returned to my rooms.
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