I would willingly have locked myself in, eaten my frugal supper, and afterwards written a few pages of my diary before retiring to rest; but this was out of the question.

The entire population of the village turned out to see me, old and young hastened to the church, and stood round in a circle and gazed at me.
Irksome as this curiosity was, I was obliged to endure it patiently, for I could not have sent these good people away without seriously offending them; so I began quietly to unpack my little portmanteau, and proceeded to boil my coffee over a spirit-lamp.

A whispering consultation immediately began; they seemed particularly struck by my mode of preparing coffee, and followed every one of my movements with eager eyes.
My frugal meal dispatched, I resolved to try the patience of my audience, and, taking out my journal, began to write.

For a few minutes they remained quiet, then they began to whisper one to another, "She writes, she writes," and this was repeated numberless times.

There was no sign of any disposition to depart; I believe I could have sat there till doomsday, and failed to tire my audience out.