" said Antonio, utterly astonished, "but my dear, good sir, do
tell me how you have learned all that; tell me how you get into
Capuzzi's house and know everything that takes place there."

"I have already told you," replied Salvator, "that an acquaintance of
Dame Caterina lives in the same house, and moreover, on the same floor
as Capuzzi. This acquaintance, the widow of a wine-dealer, has a
daughter whom my little Margaret often goes to see. Now girls have a
special instinct for finding out their fellows, and so it came about
that Rose--that's the name of the wine-dealer's daughter--and Margaret
soon discovered in the living-room a small vent-hole, leading into a
dark closet that adjoins Marianna's apartment. Marianna had been by no
means inattentive to the whispering and murmuring of the two girls, nor
had she failed to notice the vent-hole, and so the way to a mutual
exchange of communications was soon opened and made use of. Whenever
old Capuzzi takes his afternoon nap the girls gossip away to their
heart's content. You will have observed that little Margaret, Dame
Caterina's and my favourite, is not so serious and reserved as her
elder sister, Anna, but is an arch, frolicsome, droll little thing.
Without expressly making mention of your love-affair I have instructed
her to get Marianna to tell her everything that takes place in
Capuzzi's house. She has proved a very apt pupil in the matter; and if
I laughed at your pain and despondency just now it was because I knew
what would comfort you, knew I could prove to you that the affair has
now taken a most favourable turn. I have quite a big budget full of
excellent news for you."

"Salvator!" cried Antonio, his eyes sparkling with joy, "how you cause
my hopes to rise! Heaven be praised for the vent-hole. I will write to
Marianna; Margaret shall take the letter with her"----

"Nay, nay, we can have none of that, Antonio," replied Salvator.
"Margaret can be useful to us without being your love-messenger
exactly. Besides, accident, which often plays many fine tricks, might
carry your amorous confessions into old Capuzzi's hands, and so bring
an endless amount of fresh trouble upon Marianna, just at the very
moment when she is on the point of getting the lovesick old fool under
her thumb. For listen to what then happened. The way in which Marianna
received the old fellow when we took him home has quite reformed him.
He is fully convinced that she no longer loves you, but