htful you
are!"

"Hush! he'll hear."

"Who?"

"Croppo."

"Where is he?"

"Asleep in the bed just behind me."

"How do you come to be in his bedroom?"

"Because I'm his wife."

"Oh!" A long pause during which I collapsed upon my straw seat, and
swallowed macaroni thoughtfully. As the result of my
meditations--"Valeria _carissima_."

"Hush! Yes."

"Can't you get me out of this infernal den?"

"Perhaps, if they all three sleep in the kitchen; at present one is
awake. Watch for my signal, and if they all three sleep, I will manage
to slip the bolt. Then you must give me time to get back into bed, and
when you hear me snore you may make the attempt. They are all three
sleeping on the floor, so be very careful where you tread; I will also
leave the front door a little open, so that you can slip through without
noise."

"Dearest Valeria!"

"Hush! Yes."

"Hand me that cane--it is my fishing-rod, you know--through this hole;
you can leave the sketch-book and paint-box under the tree that the
donkey fell against,--I will call for them some day soon. And, Valeria,
don't you think we could make our lips meet through this beastly hole?"

"Impossible. There's my hand; heavens! Croppo would murder me if he
knew. Now keep quiet till I give the signal. Oh, do let go my hand!"

"Remember, Valeria, _bellissima_, _carissima_, whatever happens, that I
love you."

But I don't think she heard this, and I went and sat on the onions
because I could see the hole better, and the smell of them kept me awake.

It was at least two hours after this that the faint light appeared at the
hole in the wall, and a hand was pushed through. I rushed at the finger-
tips.

"Here's your fishing-rod," she said when I had released them, and she had
passed me my air-gun. "Now be very careful how you tread. There is one
asleep across the door, but you can open it about two feet. Then step
over him; then make for a gleam of moonlight that comes through the crack
of the front door, open it very gently and slip out. _Addio, caro
Inglese_; mind you wait till you hear me snoring."

Then she lingered, and I heard a sigh. "What is it, sweet Valeria?" and
I covered her hand with kisses.

"I wish Croppo had blue eyes like you."

This was murmured so softly that I may have been mistaken, but I'm nearly
sure that was what she said; then she drew softly away, and two minutes
afterwards I heard her snoring. As the first sound i