The women kissed his hand again,
and the men uncovered as he turned, and, with a friendly sign,
bade them all farewell.
As soon as he was alone again, he walked toward the Campo Santo,
and, passing the house in which Nanina lived, sauntered up and
down the street thoughtfully for some minutes. When he at length
ascended the steep staircase that led to the room occupied by the
sisters, he found the door ajar. Pushing it open gently, he saw
La Biondella sitting with her pretty, fair profile turned toward
him, eating her evening meal of bread and grapes. At the opposite
end of the room, Scarammuccia was perched up on his hindquarters
in a corner, with his mouth wide open to catch the morsel of
bread which he evidently expected the child to throw to him. What
the elder sister was doing, the priest had not time to see; for
the dog barked the moment he presented himself, and Nanina
hastened to the door to ascertain who the intruder might be. All
that he could observe was that she was too confused, on catching
sight of him, to be able to utter a word. La Biondella was the
first to speak.
"Thank you, Father Rocco," said the child, jumping up, with her
bread in one hand and her grapes in the other--"thank you for
giving me so much money for my dinner-mats. There they are, tied
up together in one little parcel, in the corner. Nanina said she
was ashamed to think of your carrying them; and I said I knew
where you lived, and I should like to ask you to let me take them
home!"
"Do you think you can carry them all the way, my dear?" asked the
priest.
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