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November 20th. The Professor has sent a civil engineer to inspect our refuge. It came as no surprise to hear that in spite of stout wooden beams and fat columns, should the house collapse we would all be crushed to death between the thin walls. That comes after having the local carpenter set up a refuge. It has now been decided to use the space outside the gardener's rooms where the walls are unusually thick. To be sure, there is a water-tank above, but the civil engineer did his best to reassure us about the danger of its falling on our heads. Meanwhile, until the new refuge is ready, it is a great relief to remain in bed or elsewhere, during the alarm.

November 25th. Thanksgiving Day. We eat Antonio's pet turkey which up to now has been fed with the greatest difficulty. Antonio loved this fowl and someone declared having seen tears in his eyes when he had to kill it. Everyone in the house partook of roast turkey today. Our two "sfollati" lunched with us. Served first were rissoles with a sauce made of the turkey's liver; this substantial dish was to appease the appetite and so allow enough turkey to go round. There were potato chips and fried pumpkin and for dessert, a chestnut pie, a specialty of Antonio's and coffee made of roasted grains, ended this feast.

The "sfollati" seemed fairly happy and they presented me with a black and white silk handkerchief interwoven with the insignia of the present régime. It is a very rare piece, they said, but [[strikethrough]] which [[/strikethrough]]