rish among them, is true," answered Andrea,
who loved so well to discourse on such subjects, that he would have
stopped to reason on religion or manners with the beggar to whom he gave
a pittance, did he only meet with encouragement; "but it is not as bad
in France, on this important head, as it has been; and we may hope that
there will be further improvement in due time."

"But, Signor Vice-governatore," put in 'Maso, "these people have treated
the holy father and his states in a way that one would not treat an
Infidel or a Turk!"

"Aye, that is it, Signori," observed Benedetta--"a poor woman cannot go
to mass without having her mind disturbed by the thoughts of the wrongs
done the head of the church. Had these things come from Luterani, it
might have been borne; but they say the Francese were once all good
Catholics!"

"So were the Luterani, bella Benedetta, to their chief schismatic and
leader, the German monk himself."

This piece of information caused great surprise, even the podesta
himself turning an inquiring glance at his superior, as much as to
acknowledge his own wonder that a Protestant should ever have been
anything but a Protestant--or rather, a Lutheran anything but a
Lutheran--the word Protestant being too significant to be in favor among
those who deny there were any just grounds for a protest at all. That
Luther had ever been a Romanist was perfectly wonderful, even in the
eyes of Vito Viti.

"Signore, you would hardly mislead these honest people, in a matter as
grave as this!" exclaimed the podesta.

"I do but tell you truth; and one of these days you shall hear the whole
story, neighbor Viti. 'Tis worth an hour of leisure to any man, and is
very consoling and useful to a Christian. But whom have you below,
Benedetta--I hear steps on the stairs, and wish not to be seen."

The widow stepped promptly forward to meet her new guests, and to show
them into a commoner room, below stairs, when her movement was
anticipated by the door's opening, and a man's standing on the
threshold. It was now too late to prevent the intrusion, and a little
surprise at the appearance of the new-comer held all mute and observant
for a minute.

The person who had followed his ears, and thus reached the sanctum
sanctorum of Benedetta, was no other than Ithuel Bolt, the American
seaman, already named in the earlier part of this chapter. He was backed
by a Genoese, who had come in the double capacity of interpreter and