e room for them,
introducing them to his wife and her two sisters. Caper, who saw that
the party had just arrived, and had not as yet had time to order any
thing from the waiters, told them that the day being his birthday, it
was customary among the North-American Indians always to celebrate it
with a feast of roast dogs and bottled porter; but, as neither of these
articles were to be found at Monte Testaccio, he should command what
they had; and arresting a waiter, he ordered such a supply of food and
wine, that the eyes of the three Roman girls opened wide as owls'. Their
tongues were all unloosened at once, as if by magic, and Caper had the
satisfaction of seeing that for what a bottle of Hotel Champaigne costs
in the United States, he had provided joy unadulterated, and happy
memories for many days, for several descendants of the Caesars.

While the wine circulated freely, the eldest, of the unmarried girls,
named Eliza, began joking Caper about his being a heretic and 'a little
devil,' and asked him to take off his hat, to see if he had horns. Caper
told her he was as yet unmarried, ... and that among the Indians,
bachelors were never allowed to take their hats off before maidens.
'But,' said he, 'what makes you think I am a heretic? Wasn't I at Saint
Peter's yesterday, and at the confessionals?'

'Yes, you were at them like an old German gentleman I once knew,' said
Eliza. 'Some of his friends saw him one morning at the German
confessional-box, and knowing that he was a heretic, asked him what he
was doing there? '_Diavolo!_' said he, 'can't a man have a comfortable
mouthful of German, without changing religions?''

'For my part,' said Rita, the youngest sister, 'I only go to
confessional, because I _have_ to, and I only confess what I want to.'

'Bravo!' exclaimed Rocjean, 'I must _paint your portrait_.'

'_Benissimo!_ and who will paint mine?' asked Eliza.

'I will,' said Caper, 'but on condition that you let me keep a copy of
it.'....

Arrangements completed, Rocjean ordered more wine; and then the artist
in leather ordered more; then Caper's turn came. After this, the
party--which had been gradually growing jolly and jollier, would have
danced, had they not all had a holy horror of the prison of San Angelo.
The married sister, Dominica, was a full-blooded _Trasteverina_, in her
gala dress, and had one of those beautiful-shaped heads that Caper could
only compare to a quail's; her jet-black hair, smoothe