a great fondness for Salvator, rated him, as regarded
his art, above all the painters in the world, and had the utmost
delight in everything he did. Therefore she was much distressed at his
deplorable condition, and wanted to run off at once to the neighbouring
monastery and bring her own Father Confessor, that he might do battle
with the powers of evil at once, with consecrated tapers, or some
powerful amulet or other. But the son thought it would be better almost
to send for a good doctor, and he set off on the instant to the Piazza
di Spagna, where he knew the celebrated doctor, Splendiano Accoramboni,
lived. As soon as he heard that the great painter Salvator Rosa was
lying sick in Strada Vergognona, he prepared to pay him a professional
visit. Salvator was lying unconscious in the most violent fever. The
old woman had hung up one or two images of saints over his bed, and was
praying fervently. The daughters, bathed in tears, were trying to
get him now and then to swallow a few drops of the cooling lemonade
which they had made, whilst the son, who had taken his station at the
bed-head, wiped the cold perspiration from his brow. In these
circumstances the morning had come, when the door opened with much
noise, and the celebrated doctor, Signor Splendiano Accoramboni,
entered.

If it had not been for the great heart-sorrow over Salvator's mortal
sickness, the two girls, petulant and merry as they were, would have
laughed loud and long at the doctor's marvellous appearance. As it was,
they drew away into corners, frightened and shy. It is worth while to
describe the aspect of this extraordinary little fellow as he came into
Dame Caterina's in the grey of the morning. Although he had,
apparently, given early promise of reaching a most distinguished
stature, Doctor Splendiano Accoramboni had not managed to get beyond
the altitude of four feet. At the same time he had, in his early years,
been of most delicate formation as regarded his members--and, before
the head (which had always been somewhat shapeless) had acquired too
much increment of matter in the shape of his fat cheeks and his
stately double chin--ere the nose had assumed too much of a lateral
development, in consequence of being stuffed with Spanish snuff--ere
the stomach had assumed too great a rotundity by dint of maccaroni
fodder--the dress of an Abbate, which he had worn in those early days,
became him very well. He had a right to be styled a nice little f