me sit
down, chucked me under the chin with her lean fingers, called me
"_poverino_," and leered at me so roguishly with her red eyes that one
corner of her mouth twitched half-way up her cheek as she at last left
the room with a low courtesy.

I sat down at the table, and a young, pretty girl came in to wait on
me. I made all sorts of gallant speeches to her, which she did not
understand, but watched me curiously while I applied myself to
the viands with evident enjoyment; they were delicious. When I had
finished and rose from table, she took a candle and conducted me to
another room, where were a sofa, a small mirror, and a magnificent bed
with green silk curtains. I inquired by signs whether I were to sleep
there. She nodded assent, but I could not undress while she stood
beside me as if she were rooted to the spot. At last I went and got a
large glass of wine from the table in the next room, drank it off, and
wished her "_Felicissima notte_!" for I had managed to learn that much
Italian. But while I was emptying the glass at a draught she suddenly
burst into a fit of suppressed giggling, grew very red, and went into
the next room, closing the door behind her. "What is there to laugh
at?" thought I in a puzzle. "I believe Italians are all crazy."

Still in anxiety lest the postilion should begin to blow his horn
again, I listened at the window, but all was quiet outside. "Let him
blow!" I thought, undressed myself, and got into the magnificent bed,
where I seemed to be fairly swimming in milk and honey! The old linden
in the court-yard rustled, a rook now and then flew off the roof, and
at last, completely happy, I fell asleep.

CHAPTER VI

When I awoke, the beams of early morning were shining on the green
curtains of my bed. At first I could not remember where I was. I
seemed to be still driving in the coach, where I had been dreaming
of a castle in the moonlight, and of an old witch and her pale
daughter.

I sprang hastily out of bed, dressed myself, and, looking about my
room, perceived in the wainscoting a small door, which I had not seen
the night before. It was ajar; I opened it, and saw a pretty little
room looking very fresh and neat in the early dawn. Some articles of
feminine apparel were lying in disorder over the back of a chair, and
in a bed beside it lay the girl who had waited upon me the evening
before. She was sleeping soundly, her head resting upon her bare white
arm, over which her b