hey try to come in. He drives them
back with a napkin, which has been hanging over his arm, crying: "Vate,
vate! Devo dire al maresciallo di cacciarvi?"]

[Meanwhile VASILI has entered from the hotel, a bundle of clean white
rags in his hand.]

VASILI. Is there a new eruption of Vesuvius?

PIKE [meeting him and taking the rags]. No; it's an eruption of colonels
trying to arrest a high-school professor. I've got him under your car
there.

VASILI [astounded]. What!

PIKE. I told them he's your new chauffeur.

VASILI. My friend, do you realize the penalty for protecting a criminal
from arrest?

PIKE. We'll be proud of the risk.

[Speaks in an undertone to IVANOFF.]

This man owns the car. You can trust him the same as your own father.

VASILI [remonstrating]. My friend, my friend!

[Illustration: "THE NEW CHAUFFEUR FOR THE MACHINE, FROM NAPLES"]

PIKE [quietly]. Look out, the Governor's staff is coming back.

MARIANO [closing the gates and wiping his face]. Lazzaroni!

[At the same time FIRST CARABINIERE enters from right; SECOND
CARABINIERE from left.]

SECOND CARABINIERE. Niente!

FIRST CARABINIERE. Niente la!

[The two CARABINIERE cross briskly to each other as they speak, and
stand conferring.]

MARIANO. Grazia Dio! He has gone some other place!

PIKE [very casually to VASILI]. You'll have to get a new off front tire,
Doc. That one is pretty near gone. Better have Jim, here, put on the
spare when he gets through.

[The CARABINIERE beckon to MARIANO and speak to him.]

VASILI [seriously, stepping toward PIKE]. Do you know what you are
asking me to do?

PIKE [watching CARABINIERE]. To put on a new tire.

[VASILI, with exclamation and gesture of despair grimly tinged with
humor, turns away, greatly disturbed.]

MARIANO [addressing PIKE with an embarrassed bow]. The carabiniere with
all excuses beg if you will command the chauffeur to step forth from the
automobile.

PIKE. _No_, sir; I worked on that machine myself for three hours. He's
got his hands full of nuts and screws and bolts half fastened. If he
lays them down now to come out I don't know how long it'll take to get
them back in place. We want to get this job finished. [Continues with a
plaintive uplift of voice.] This is _serious_! Tell them to go on up
Main Street with their Knights of Pythias parade, and come around some
day when we haven't got our hands full.

MARIANO [meekly]. I tell them--yes, sir.

[Turns and confers with