seven o’clock
In the morning and evening he works a little in the kitchen-garden . This morning he rose very early , and what should he do but take it into his head to wash down the stairs ! Yesterday Maria scolded the old servant because the stairs were not clean . When the old woman , who sleeps at Subiaco , arrived at seven o'clock , she found Maironi had done the work for her . My sister and my brother-in-law reproached him ; Giovanni was almost severe , perhaps because he is so different from Maironi , and would never think of touching a broom , even if he lived in a cloud of cobwebs ! What does Maironi read ? He has never but once spoken to me of what he reads , and then only for a moment , as I shall tell you later .