a splendid girl!" exclaimed her father; and he stretched out
one hand to caress her, but drew it back again, and repeated, "Ah, what
a good girl! May God bless her, may He grant her all good fortune, all
consolations; may He make her and hers always happy, so good a girl is
she, my poor Gigia! It is an honest workingman, the poor father of a
family, who wishes you this with all his heart."

The big girl caressed the little one, still keeping her face bent, and
smiling, and the gardener continued to gaze at her, as at a madonna.

"You can take your daughter with you for the day," said the mistress.

"Won't I take her, though!" rejoined the gardener. "I'll take her to
Condove, and fetch her back to-morrow morning. Think for a bit whether I
won't take her!"

The girl ran off to dress.

"It is three years since I have seen her!" repeated the gardener. "Now
she speaks! I will take her to Condove with me on the instant. But first
I shall take a ramble about Turin, with my deaf-mute on my arm, so that
all may see her, and take her to see some of my friends! Ah, what a
beautiful day! This is consolation indeed!--Here's your father's arm, my
Gigia."

The girl, who had returned with a little mantle and cap on, took his
arm.

"And thanks to all!" said the father, as he reached the threshold.
"Thanks to all, with my whole soul! I shall come back another time to
thank you all again."

He stood for a moment in thought, then disengaged himself abruptly from
the girl, turned back, fumbling in his waistcoat with his hand, and
shouted like a man in a fury:--

"Come now, I am not a poor devil! So here, I leave twenty lire for the
institution,--a fine new gold piece."

And with a tremendous bang, he deposited his gold piece on the table.

"No, no, my good man," said the mistress, with emotion. "Take back your
money. I cannot accept it. Take it back. It is not my place. You shall
see about that when the director is here. But he will not accept
anything either; be sure of that. You have toiled too hard to earn it,
poor man. We shall be greatly obliged to you, all the same."

"No; I shall leave it," replied the gardener, obstinately; "and then--we
will see."

But the mistress put his money back in his pocket, without leaving him
time to reject it. And then he resigned himself with a shake of the
head; and then, wafting a kiss to the mistress and to the large girl, he
quickly took his daughter's arm again, and hurried with her