xclaimed. "Why, Signor Maironi has the
finest jasmine in the whole Valsolda, my dear sir!"

Thus, in the most natural way possible, did the Commissary presently
discover that the famous jasmine had not yet blossomed. "I should like
to see Don Franco's dahlias," said he. The ingenuous creature offered to
accompany him to Casa Ribera that very day. "They will be so
delighted!" But the Commissary expressed his desire to wait the coming
of the Imperial and Royal Engineer-in-Chief, that he might have an
opportunity of greeting him, whereupon Signora Peppina said approvingly:
"That is right." Meanwhile the mastiff, humiliated by that superior
skill, and wishing to show in some way that, at least, he was zealous,
seized the boy with the watering-pot by the arm, and presented him:

"My nephew. Son of a sister of mine, married to an Imperial and Royal
doorkeeper, at the police station in Bergamo. He has the honour to bear
the names, _Francesco Giuseppe_--Francis Joseph--bestowed upon him by my
express desire. Of course, you see, it would not be respectful to use
these names ordinarily----"

"His mother calls him Rati, and his father calls him Ratu, fancy that!"
Aunt Peppina put in.

"Be quiet!" said his uncle. "I call him Francesco. He is a well-behaved
boy, I must say; a very well-behaved boy. Now tell us, Francesco, what
are you going to do when you are a man?"

Rati rattled off his answer as if he were reciting his catechism.

"When I am a man I shall always comport myself as behooves a faithful
and devoted subject of His Majesty our Emperor, and a good Christian;
and I hope, with the help of the Lord, to become some day, an Imperial
and Royal Receiver of Customs like my uncle, that I may, at last, enter
Paradise, and be duly rewarded for my virtuous actions."

"Well done, well done, well done!" said Zerboli, caressing Rati. "Always
walk in the path of virtue."

"You be quiet, _Sur Commissari_," Peppina once more burst out. "This
morning the little villain ate half the sugar out of the sugar-basin!"

"What, what, what?" Carlascia exclaimed, forgetting his part in his
astonishment. He remembered himself at once however, and declared: "It
was your own fault. Things should be put away. Is not that true,
Francesco?"

"Perfectly," Rati answered; and the Commissary vexed at this wrangle,
and at the twist his paternal admonition had received, took himself off
without ceremony.

Hardly had he disappeared when Carlascia s