, wrenched the cover of it out of the hinges, and
ran, like one possessed, out of the door, down the steps, and off and
away out of the house, whilst Dame Caterina and her daughters
accompanied his exit with bursts of laughter.

"The old skinflint knows very well," said Salvator, "that he has only
to take the painted top of the spinett to Count Colonna, or to my
friend Rossi, to get forty ducats, or more, for it in a moment."

Salvator and Antonio now set about considering the plan of attack which
they were about to carry out on the following night. We shall presently
see what it was, and what was the success of their attempt.

When night came, Pasquale, after carefully bolting and barring up his
house, carried the little monster of a Castrato home. The little
creature mewed and complained all the way, that not only was he
compelled to sing his lungs into a consumption over Capuzzi's arias,
and burn his hands with cooking of macaroons, but, into the bargain,
was employed in a service which brought him in nothing but cuffs on the
ears and sound kicks, which Marianna dealt out to him in ample measure
whenever he came into her vicinity. The old gentleman comforted him
as well as he could, promising to supply him more plentifully with
sugar-stuff than he had hitherto done, and even going so far as to enter
into a solemn undertaking (inasmuch as the little wretch would not cease
whining and lamenting) to have a little Abbate's coat made for him out
of an old black plush doublet, which he had often looked upon with
envious glances. He demanded, besides, a periwig and a sword.
Discussing those matters, they reached the Strada Vergognona, for that
was where Pitichinaccio lived, and, indeed, only four doors from
Salvator.

The old man set the little creature carefully down, and opened the
door. Then they went up the narrow steps, more like a hen's ladder than
anything else; but scarcely had they got half-way up when they became
aware of a tremendous raging on the storey above, and a wild drunken
fellow made his voice heard, calling upon all the devils in hell to
show him the way out of this accursed, haunted house. Pitichinaccio,
who was in front, pressed himself close to the wall and implored
Capuzzi to go on first, for the love of all the saints. Scarcely,
however, had Capuzzi gone a step or two up when the fellow from above
came stumbling down the stairs, came upon Capuzzi like a whirlwind,
seized hold of him, and went fl