s to see _'er_. Tell me," he
continued, becoming suddenly serious, "'ave she 'ad 'er bart?" [The
Signor almost sings his sentences. He went up the scale to the verb
"'ad," and took a turn down again three notes to the noun "bart," which,
by the way, was his way of pronouncing "bath."]

"Every day, sir," replied the maid, cheerfully, "and her skin looks as
white as a young infant's."

Again the Signor was in ecstasies.

"Come!" he cried, "let us go an' see 'er."

A good deal of the Signor's conversation resembles easy lessons in one
syllable for beginners. His "let us go and see 'er," was delivered with
a slight halt between each word, like a child in a state of doubt over
a column in a spelling book.

They went into the house, and out, by the back way.

Madame Regniati soon discovered the worst. When the Signor had gone, she
called at the house herself, and found that the Signor rented a lodging
of the farmer, and, _kept a pig_.

Though forced to give up the country, he could not deny himself this
agricultural pleasure. His first pig had won a prize, and the farmer
showed Mrs. Regniati the account of the Cattle Show in a local paper,
with Mr. Regniati exhibiting under the name of "Tomkins," and then, in
the fulness of his heart, he brought out a silver medal, tied to a blue
riband and preserved in a case of morocco leather, on which was
inscribed that this represented the second prize for pigs awarded by the
Judges to Mr. Regniati, as "Tomkins," for the sow Selina, and then
followed date, place, and other particulars.

After this discovery there was an arrangement. Mr. Regniati was allowed
a small farm-house in the country, on condition of his not _wasting_
money upon it, and only taking to it as a recreation, while the greater
portion of his time he would be, henceforth, in honour bound to dedicate
to his Art.

The Signor accepted these terms.

In six years' time he had got as far as the third pair of
knees,--Juno's,--and had obtained the first prize for pigs, and the
second for bullocks, at a County Show.

This success lured him on to his ruin. At the expiration of ten years,
Venus had a head on her shoulders, and he had almost lost his own. There
had been years of disease among the cattle, insects in the turnips, and
rottenness in the heart of his mangels; his expenses had become
enormous, the Inspector of Nuisances had complained of the state of the
drains round and about his farm, his oxen had strayed