e
when Uncle Paolo gave him the order for the crucifix! If it had been
anybody but papa, I should have said that a miracle had been performed.
But poor papa! No--the miracle of the soldi--that is the truth. I would
like to catch sight of the saint who could work a miracle on papa!
Capers, what a saint he would have to be!"

"Bacchus!" ejaculated Maria Luisa, "San Filippo Neri would be nowhere!
The Holy Father would have to make a saint on purpose to convert that
monster! A saint who should have nothing else to do. Oh, how hot it is!
My head is splitting. What are we to do, Lucia, my heart? Tell me a
little what we are to do--two poor women--all alone--oh dear!"

"In the first place, it needs courage, mamma," answered Lucia, "and a
cup of coffee. It is still hot, and you have not had any--"

"Coffee! Who thinks of coffee?" cried the Signora Pandolfi, taking the
cup from her daughter's hands, and drinking the liquid with more
calmness than might have been anticipated.

"That is right," continued the girl. "Drink, mamma, it will do you good.
And then, and then--let me see. And then you must talk to Suntarella
about the dinner. That old woman has no head--"

"Dinner!" cried the mother, "who thinks of dinner at such a time? And he
left me the money for the outfit, too! Lucia, my love, I have the
fever--I will go to bed."

"Eh! What do you suppose? That is a way out of all difficulties,"
answered Lucia philosophically.

"But you cannot go out alone--"

"I will stay at home in that case."

"And then he will come to dinner, and ask to see the things--"

"There will be no things to show him," returned the young girl.

"Well? And then where should we be?" inquired the Signora Pandolfi. "I
see him, my husband, coming back and finding that nothing has been done!
He would tear his hair! He would kill us! He would bring his broomstick
of a lawyer here to marry you this very afternoon, and what should we
have gained then? It needs judgment, Lucia, my heart--judgment,
judgment!" repeated the fat lady, tapping her forehead.

"Eh! If you have not enough for two, mamma, I do not know what we shall
do."

"At the same time, something must be done," mused Maria Luisa. "My head
is positively bursting! We might go out and buy half a dozen
handkerchiefs, just to show him that we have begun. Do you think a few
handkerchiefs would quiet him, my love? You could always use them
afterwards--a dozen would be too many--"

"Bacchus!"