went and took down his
cloak and hat from a peg on the wall, and brought them to him.

"Of course I will go, and at once," he answered. "But I must give you a
word of advice."

"We will do everything you tell us," said the two women together.

"You must not ask him any questions, nor refer to the matter at all when
he comes home."

"Diana! I would as soon speak of death!" exclaimed the Signora Pandolfi.

"And if he begins to talk about it you must not answer him, nor irritate
him in any way."

"Be easy about that," answered the fat lady. "Never meddle with sleeping
dogs--I know."

"If he grows very angry you must refer him to me."

"Oh, but that is another matter! I would rather offer pepper to a cat
than talk to him of you. You would see how he would curse and swear and
call you by bad names."

"Well, you must not do anything to make him swear, because that would be
a sin; but if he only abuses me, I do not mind. He will do that when I
talk to him. Perhaps after all, if he mentions the matter, you had
better remain silent."

"Eh! that will be easy. He talks so much, and he talks so fast, never
waiting for an answer. But are you not afraid for yourself, dear Paolo?"

"Oh, he will not hurt me--I am not afraid of him," answered the priest.
"He will talk a little, he will use some big words, and then it will be
finished. You see, it is not a great thing, after all. Take courage,
Maria Luisa, it will be a matter of half an hour."

"Heaven grant it may be only that!" murmured Marzio's wife, turning up
her eyes, and rising from her chair.

Lucia, who, as has been said, had a very keen appreciation of facts, did
not believe that things would go so smoothly.

"You had better come back with him to our house when it is all over,"
she said, "just to give us a sign that it is settled, you know, Uncle
Paolo."

Don Paolo himself had his doubts about the issue, although he put such a
brave face on it, and in spite of the Signora Pandolfi. That good lady
was by nature very sincere, but she always seemed to bring an irrelevant
and comic element into the proceedings.

The result of the interview was that, in half an hour, Don Paolo knocked
at the door of the workshop in the Via dei Falegnami, where Marzio and
Gianbattista were at work. The chiseller's voice bade him enter.

Don Paolo had not found much time to collect his thoughts before he
reached the scene of battle, but his opinion of the matter in hand was
well