"
"How came you to leave this situation?"
"The lady and her family were going to Rome, sir. They would have
taken me with them, but they could not take my sister. We are
alone in the world, and we never have been parted from each
other, and never shall be--so I was obliged to leave the
situation."
"And here you are, back at Pisa--with nothing to do, I suppose?"
"Nothing yet, sir. We only came back yesterday."
"Only yesterday! You are a lucky girl, let me tell you, to have
met with me. I suppose you have somebody in the town who can
speak to your character?"
"The landlady of this house can, sir."
"And who is she, pray?"
"Marta Angrisani, sir."
"What! the well-known sick-nurse? You could not possibly have a
better recommendation, child. I remember her being employed at
the Melani Palace at the time of the marquis's last attack of
gout; but I never knew that she kept a lodging-house."
"She and her daughter, sir, have owned this house longer than I
can recollect. My sister and I have lived in it since I was quite
a little child, and I had hoped we might be able to live here
again. But the top room we used to have is taken, and the room to
let lower down is far more, I am afraid, than we can afford."
"How much is it?"
Nanina mentioned the weekly rent of the room in fear and
trembling. The steward burst out laughing.
"Suppose I offered you money enough to be able to take that room
for a whole year at once?" he said.
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