him; for he is going away from Padua, and
wants to speak to you once more before he sets off. And don't crawl
about so among the parsons, if you mean to be a philosopher."

Hopping and jumping to and fro from side to side he ran down the
street again; and Antonio said to Alfonso, who now came up to him, and
who for some time past had been forming a friendship with him: "I
never know, when talking to that little abortion, whether it means its
words in earnest or only in jest. He seems always to be scoffing at
himself and at everything else in the world."

"This," answered Alfonso, "is a kind of necessary amends to him, a way
of comforting himself for his deformity: by his sneers he to his own
fancy makes all other creatures just like himself. But have you heard
of the new honours that have been bestowed on our illustrious teacher
and master?"

"The world," replied Antonio, "acknowledges his high worth; and now
that even our holy father, the pope, is making him a prelate, this
will at length silence the envious priests and monks who are for ever
trying to charge the virtuous and pious man with heresy."

They parted; and Antonio hurried home, to take leave of his teacher
for some days. The little dwarf Beresynth was awaiting him in the
doorway with a friendly grin.

* * * * *

It was already growing dark within the house; and as Beresynth left
the youth to himself, he walkt, on not finding his teacher in the hall
or even in the library, through a number of rooms, and thus advanced
even to the innermost, which he had never yet entered. Here beside a
dim lamp Pietro was sitting, and was no little surprised to see the
Florentine come in; who on his part was astonisht at the skeletons,
the strange instruments, and extraordinary machinery around the old
man. Not without confusion the latter came up to him.

"I did not expect you here," said he, "but thought to find you
without, or to look for you up in your own room. I must set off to
meet the legate of our holy father, the pope, that with due humility
and gratitude I may receive the letter and the new dignity which his
grace and paternal kindness have vouchsafed to confer upon me."

Antonio was embarrast, and seemed to be examining the instruments,
having never seen any thing like them.

"You are wondering," said the old man after a while, "at all these
things, which are necessary for my studies. When you have attended
a course of my