of
the session, my father and Story began to talk about the superstition as
to Friday, and they agreed that, of course, it was nonsense, but that,
nevertheless, it did have an influence on both of them. It probably has
an influence on everybody who has ever heard of it. Many of us protest
indignantly that we don't believe in it, but the protest itself implies
something not unlike believing.

Finally, on the 24th of May, we left our Pincian palace, and got into
and on the huge _vettura_ which was to carry us to Florence, a week's
journey. It was to be one of the most delightful and blessed of our
foreign experiences; my father often said that he had enjoyed nothing
else so much, the vetturino (who happened to be one of the honestest and
sweetest-tempered old fellows in Italy) taking upon himself the entire
management of everything, down to ordering the meals and paying the
tolls, thus leaving us wholly unembarrassed and free from responsibility
while traversing a route always historically and generally scenically
charming. But we were destined, on the threshold of the adventure, to
undergo one of those evil quarters of an hour which often usher in a
period of special sunshine; for we were forced into a desperate conflict
with our servant-girl, Lalla, and her mother over a question of wages.
The girl had done chores for us during our residence at the Palazzo
Larazani, and had seemed to be a very amiable little personage; she
was small, slim, and smiling, and, though dirty and inefficient, was no
worse, so far as we could discover, than any other Roman servant-girl.
When we had fixed on the date of our departure, Lalla had been asked how
much warning she wanted; she replied, a fortnight; which, accordingly,
was given her, with a few days thrown in for good measure. But when the
day arrived she claimed a week's more pay, and her old mother had a bill
of her own for fetching water. According to my observation, travelling
Americans have little or no conscience; to avoid trouble they will
submit to imposition, not to mention their habit of spoiling tradesmen,
waiters, and other foreign attendants by excessive tips and payments.
But my father and mother, though apt enough to make liberal bargains,
were absolutely incorruptible and immovable when anything like barefaced
robbery was attempted upon them; and they refused to present Lalla and
her mother with a single baioccho more than was their due. Moreover, the
patrone, or prop