.

"My face, Lucia, it hurts me so, make it stop bleeding," Beppi pleaded,
"I fell on a big rock in the garden."

"Caro mio, how long ago?" Lucia asked excitedly, "here quick, Nana, get
me some hot water, I will wash it as I saw Sister Veronica wash the
soldiers. There, there, darling, it will soon be better."

With trembling fingers Nana and the old servant, Amelie, brought a
basin and a towel, and Lucia bathed the wound. It was a deep cut and
poor Beppi winced as the water touched it.

After a little the blood stopped and Lucia bound up his head in soft
white cloths.

"Stay by me," Beppi begged, "don't go way downstairs, I am afraid."

"Poor angel," Amelie cried, "he won't be left alone; old Amelie will
bring up the little sister's dinner and she can eat by his bedside,"
and she hurried off, crooning to herself as she went to the kitchen
below.

Nana, now that she knew that Beppi was not going to die, started
scolding him for not looking where he was going, but Lucia sent her
downstairs.

"He is too tired to listen to-night, Nana, and anyway he will be
careful. Do go away and rest a little, you must be tired."

When Nana had left, Lucia returned to the bed and sat down. She did
not have any idea what time it was, and she knew that it would be
impossible to leave Beppi until he was quiet. She hardly touched the
tempting tray that Amelie brought her, and her voice trembled as she
asked what time it was.

"Ten minutes after seven," Amelie told her after she had carefully
consulted the big hall clock.

"Oh!" Lucia was surprised and relieved. She thought she must have
slept for hours, but now she realized that in reality she had only
dozed for a few minutes.

She took Beppi's hand and set about putting him to sleep. It was a
difficult task. She told him story after story, but at the end of each
his eyes were bright and his demand for another one as insistent as
ever.

Lucia kept time by the chimes of the clock, and at ten she turned out
the light.

"I am coming to bed beside you," she explained as Beppi protested, "I
think the light will hurt your head." She took off her dress and
slipped on her nightgown. Beppi snuggled contentedly into her arm, and
she went on with her stories.

"Sing to me," he asked at last, sleepily, "your song," and Lucia began
very softly to sing.

"O'er sea the silver star brightly is glowing,
Rocked now the billows are.
Soft winds are blowing,
Come to my