plomats, distinguished travelers and
cardinals' nephews.

The other painters were furious with envy when they learned how often
the Spanish ambassador and his wife, the consul and prominent people
connected with the Vatican visited his studio. They denied his talent,
attributing these distinctions to Josephina's position. They called him
a courtier and a flatterer, alleging that he had married to better his
position. One of his most constant visitors was Father Recovero, the
representative of a monastic order that was powerful in Spain, a sort of
cowled ambassador who enjoyed great influence with the Pope. When he was
not in Renovales' studio, the latter was sure that he was at his house,
doing some favor for Josephina who felt proud of her friendship with
this influential friar, so jovial and scrupulously correct in spite of
his coarse clothes. Renovales' wife always had some favor to ask of him,
her friends in Madrid were unceasing in their requests.

The Torrealta widow contributed to this by her constant chatter among
her acquaintances about the high position her daughter occupied in Rome.
According to her, Mariano was making millions; Josephina was reported to
be a great friend of the Pope, her house was full of Cardinals and if
the Pope did not visit her it was only because the poor thing was a
prisoner in the Vatican. And so the painter's wife had to keep sending
to Madrid some rosary that had been passed over St. Peter's tomb or
reliques taken from the Catacombs. She urged Father Recovero to
negotiate difficult marriage dispensations and interested herself in
behalf of the petitions of pious ladies, friends of her mother. The
great festivals of the Roman Church filled her with enthusiasm because
of their theatrical interest and she was very grateful to the generous
friar who never forgot to reserve her a good place. There never was a
reception of pilgrims in Saint Peter's with a triumphal march of the
Pope carried on a platform amid feather fans, at which Josephina was not
present. At other times the good Father made the mysterious announcement
that on the next day Pallestri, the famous male soprano of the papal
chapel, was going to sing; the Spanish lady got up early, leaving her
husband still in bed, to hear the sweet voice of the pontifical eunuch
whose beardless face appeared in shop windows among the portraits of
dancers and fashionable tenors.

Renovales laughed good-naturedly at the countless occupation