t went on?"

"I told you," said Salvator, "that in Capuzzi's house--and in fact on
the same storey with him--there lives an acquaintance of Dame
Caterina's. This acquaintance, the widow of a wine-merchant, has a
daughter whom my little Margerita often goes to see. Girls have a
special faculty for finding out others like themselves, and in this way
Rosa (the wine-merchant's widow's daughter) and Margerita soon
discovered a little peep-hole in the dining-room, which is the next
room to a dark chamber which opens into Marianna's room. The
whisperings of the girls by no means escaped Marianna's notice, neither
did the peephole; so that the way to mutual communications was marked
out, and taken advantage of. When the old gentleman is having his
afternoon nap, the girls have a right good chatter to their heart's
content. You have no doubt noticed that little Margerita (her mother's
favourite, and mine) is by no means so grave and reserved as her elder
sister Anna, but a droll, merry creature. Without having exactly told
her about your love affair, I have asked her to get Marianna to let her
know all that goes on in the house. In this she has proved very clever;
and if I, just now, laughed a little at your pain and despair, it was
because I have it in my power to prove to you that your affairs have
just, for the first time, got into an exceedingly favourable groove. I
have a whole sackful of delightful news for you."

"Salvator!" cried Antonio, his eyes bright with joy, "what hopes dawn
upon me! Blessings on the peephole in the dining-room. I can write to
Marianna--Margerita will take the note with her."

"No, no, Antonio," said Salvator, "not quite that; Margerita shall
do us good service without being exactly your go-between. Besides,
chance--which often plays strange tricks--might place your love-prattle
in the hands of old Capuzzi, and bring a thousand new troubles upon
Marianna's head, just at the moment when she is on the point of getting
the amorous old goose properly and completely under her little satin
shoe. For just listen how affairs are progressing. The style in which
Marianna received him when he was taken home has turned him round
completely. He believes no less a thing than that Marianna has ceased
to care for you, but has given one half of her heart to him, so that
all he has to do is to get hold of the other half. Since she has
imbibed the poison of your kisses, she has all at once become some
three years