walk, and employ a French stay-maker? I
thought she rode upon clouds, and lived at a period before waists were
invented."

"What do you mean?"

"This--that my present project is to try if I can't make my fortune by
sitting as a model for Minerva in the studio of the best sculptor in
Pisa."

"And who is he! (Unwind me a yard or two of that black lace.)"

"The master-sculptor, Luca Lomi--an old family, once noble, but down in
the world now. The master is obliged to make statues to get a living for
his daughter and himself."

"More of the lace--double it over the bosom of the dress. And how is
sitting to this needy sculptor to make your fortune?"

"Wait a minute. There are other sculptors besides him in the studio.
There is, first, his brother, the priest--Father Rocco, who passes all
his spare time with the master. He is a good sculptor in his way--has
cast statues and made a font for his church--a holy man, who devotes all
his work in the studio to the cause of piety."

"Ah, bah! we should think him a droll priest in France. (More pins.) You
don't expect _him_ to put money in your pocket, surely?"

"Wait, I say again. There is a third sculptor in the studio--actually
a nobleman! His name is Fabio d'Ascoli. He is rich, young, handsome,
an only child, and little better than a fool. Fancy his working at
sculpture, as if he had his bread to get by it--and thinking that an
amusement! Imagine a man belonging to one of the best families in Pisa
mad enough to want to make a reputation as an artist! Wait! wait!
the best is to come. His father and mother are dead--he has no near
relations in the world to exercise authority over him--he is a bachelor,
and his fortune is all at his own disposal; going a-begging, my friend;
absolutely going a-begging for want of a clever woman to hold out her
hand and take it from him."

"Yes, yes--now I understand. The goddess Minerva is a clever woman, and
she will hold out her hand and take his fortune from him with the utmost
docility."

"The first thing is to get him to offer it. I must tell you that I am
not going to sit to him, but to his master, Luca Lomi, who is doing the
statue of Minerva. The face is modeled from his daughter; and now he
wants somebody to sit for the bust and arms. Maddalena Lomi and I are
as nearly as possible the same height, I hear--the difference between us
being that I have a good figure and she has a bad one. I have offered
to sit, through a friend who