"I gave all I had to the
monkey!"

"Ah," said the woman, "that is bad, to go back without money! You would
spend the night in the streets without doubt, or possibly in the jail.
If the police found you they would take you for vagrants. It would be
terrible indeed if the police should get you! Still, if you think best
you can jump down and start back right now. I do not believe the bear
would hurt you, even though he does not like to have any one jump right
in front of him!"

The children looked down at Ugolone, lumbering along behind the van. If
they jumped it must be almost on top of him, and in the darkness he
looked as big as a house and very alarming. Even Beppo lost his
swagger, and as for Beppina, she was speechless with terror. The woman
continued to cajole them.

"Soon we shall camp beside the road for the night," she said, "and you
shall have something hot for your supper, and sleep in the van as cozy
as birds in a nest. That is surely much better than the jail! And
to-morrow--oh, la bella vita! just think, you shall grind the organ and
play with Carina all day long, and there will be no lessons!"

There was no response to this alluring prospect. The children,
homesick, weary, terror-stricken, clung to each other in the darkness,
and shrank as far as possible from the woman, whom they now saw to be
not their friend, but their jailer.

On and on through the deepening darkness lumbered the yellow van, until
it seemed to the unhappy children that it must be nearly morning. At
last, however, the team turned from the highroad and stopped beside a
little stream. The woman sprang out, and while her husband unharnessed
the donkeys and tied Ugolone to a tree for the night, she built a fire,
and hung a kettle over it. She put the monkey in Beppina's arms, and
sent Beppo for water from the stream, and to gather sticks for the fire.
Soon a kettleful of steaming mush was ready, and the woman, whose name
was Carlotta, called Luigi, her husband, and, giving the children each a
tin dish, bade them eat their supper. Even if it had been her favourite
food, Beppina could not have swallowed a mouthful that night, but Beppo,
though he too was homesick, could still eat, even though nothing better
than polenta was offered him. He sat down with Carlotta and Luigi
before the fire on the ground, while Beppina stayed in the back of the
van, hugging the monkey to her lonely heart and striving to keep back
the tears.