sed knocking off sketching, and
continuing it next day; to which Dexter assenting, they put up their
sketches. Caper agreeing to pay Margarita for the afternoon's study, he
went up to her, and handing over the amount agreed upon, she seemed by
no means satisfied.

'Won't that pay you?' asked he.

'Certainly, but--'

'But what?'

'When are you going to paint the donkey? Here I've told all my friends
that you were to paint the little old fellow all over, perhaps a nice
red color, or bright yellow; and here we've all been waiting hours to
see you begin, and you haven't put the first brush to him yet!'

This was too much for the gravity of Caper, who fairly roared with
laughter, and Dexter, who had listened to the talk, joining in as
chorus, made the garden ring.

'They are crazy,' said one old woman, who was holding a distaff in one
hand, while she was making woolen thread with the other.

'_Seguro_,' said another, who had once been to Rome, and therefore was
great authority, 'they are Englis', and all the Englis' is crazy. Didn't
I once live with an Englis' family? and they were that mad that they
washed themselves every day! And they had white sticks with hair on the
end of them, what they scrubbed their mouth and teeth with two and three
times a day!'

'Now, Maricuccia, that is too much; what could they do that for?'

'_Ma, che!_ I tell you it was so; and their maid told me it was to kill
the little devils that are always jumping in and out of the throats of
all heretics.'

'Santa Maria!'

The next day, after they had finished their sketch of the donkey, Caper
proposed that they should oblige Margarita by giving the donkey a little
of that painting the owner seemed so anxious to have bestowed on him.
Dexter accordingly drew bright yellow circles of cadmium and yellow
ochre round his eyes, giving him a peculiarly owly look; painted white
rings round his tail, black streaks round his body, and touched the ends
of his ears with vermilion. A more striking-looking object you never
saw; and when Margarita proudly led him forth and showed him to the
surrounding multitude, there were storms of applause for the _Inglese_
who painted donkeys!

SIR JOHN SUCKLING.

Prominent among the gay cavaliers at the court of Charles I. of England,
was Sir John Suckling, a dashing, reckless, improvident fellow, who
acted the gallant to the ladies, played skillfully at bowls and deeply
at cards, was always ready at a f