ll _me_ to
be here at nine o'clock?'

'To be sure I did,' replied he.

'Then,' continued she, 'what is _that person_ there taking the bread out
of my mouth for? _Cospetto!_'

'_Iddio giusto!_' cried Nina, 'hear her; she calls _me_, ME, a person! I
who have a watch and chain, and wear a hooped petticoat! _I_ take the
bread out of her mouth. I a person! I'm a lady, _per Bacco!_'

'Tace!' said Rocjean to Nina, 'or the Signore Giacomo will send you
flying. What do you want, Nina?'

'I only wanted to see if the Signore intended to paint the Lady Godeeva,
that he told me about the other day.'

'Wait till I open the studio-door, and get out of this noise. Those old
women down below, and you young ones up here, are howling like a lot of
hyenas. Here, come in!' ... As Caper said this, he unlocked the
studio-door and threw it open; the two models were close at his elbows,
while Rocjean drew to one side to let them pass in.

In the next minute, Caper, the two models, a he-goat, a dirty little
donkey, and a yelping dog, were rolling head over heels down-stairs, one
confused mass of petticoats and animals.

Rocjean roared with laughter; he could do nothing but hold his sides,
fearful of having an apopletic fit or bursting a blood-vessel.

The small donkey slid down-stairs on his back, slowly, gradually,
meekly; his long ears rubbing the way before him. But the billy-goat was
on his feet in an instant, and was charging, next thing, full force into
the knot of old women at the foot of the stairs, who, believing that
their last hour had come, and that it was old Nick in person, yelled
out,' 'Tis he; the devil! the devil!' and fled before the horns to come.

Giacinta was the first one on her legs, and after picking up the _caro_
Giacomo, _alias_ Caper, and finding he was not hurt, she then
good-naturedly helped Nina to arrange her tumbled garments.

Rocjean rushed to open the studio-windows, to air the room, for it had
not the odors of the Spice Islands in it. Caper hastened to pick up
paints, brushes, books, easel; but they were too many for him, and at
last, giving it up in despair, he sat down on a chair.

'_Well!_' said he, 'there _has_ been a HARD fight here! The dog must
have tackled the billy-goat; the goat must have upset this table, broken
his string, and pitched into that dirty little donkey; and the donkey
must have put his heels through that canvas; and all three must have
broken loose and upset us ... I say, R