y the Pyramid Doctor, although he could not contradict Signor
Pasquale that it was only a wild freakish trick played upon him by a
parcel of godless boys, grew melancholy; and, albeit not ordinarily
superstitiously inclined, he yet now saw spectres everywhere, and was
tormented by forebodings and bad dreams.

As for Pitichinaccio, he could not be convinced that they were not real
devils come straight from the flames of hell who had fallen upon Signor
Pasquale and upon himself, and the bare mention of that dreadful night
was enough to make him scream. All the asseverations of Signor Pasquale
that there had been nobody behind the masks but Antonio Scacciati and
Salvator Rosa were of none effect, for Pitichinaccio wept and swore
that in spite of his terror and apprehension he had clearly recognised
both the voice and the behaviour of the devil Fanfarelli in the one who
had pinched his belly black and blue.

It may therefore be imagined what an almost endless amount of trouble
it cost Signor Pasquale to persuade the two to go with him once more to
Nicolo Musso's theatre. Splendiano was the first to make the resolve to
go,--after he had procured from a monk of St. Bernard's order a small
consecrated bag of musk, the perfume of which neither dead man nor
devil could endure; with this he intended to arm himself against all
assaults. Pitichinaccio could not resist the temptation of a promised
box of candied grapes, but Signor Pasquale had besides expressly to
give his consent that he might wear his new abbot's coat, instead of
his petticoats, which he affirmed had proved an immediate source of
attraction to the devil.

What Salvator feared seemed therefore as if it would really take place;
and yet his plan depended entirely, he continued to repeat, upon Signor
Pasquale's being in Nicolo's theatre alone with Marianna, without his
faithful satellites. Both Antonio and Salvator greatly racked their
brains how they should prevent Splendiano and Pitichinaccio from going
along with Signor Pasquale. Every scheme that occurred to them for the
accomplishment of this desideratum had to be given up owing to want of
time, for the principal plan in Nicolo's theatre had to be carried out
on the evening of the following day.

But Providence, which often employs the most unlikely instruments for
the chastisement of fools, interposed on behalf of the distressed
lovers, and put it into Michele's head to practise some of his
blundering, thus