nd liked it much better than Beppina
did.

"If you do it you'll just have to spend Easter Saturday in the house and
miss all the fun," warned Beppina. "Mammina would not let us go with
any of the other servants."

"I don't see why she won't let us go alone," said Beppo crossly. "I
hate to go out on the street with Teresina all dressed up in her ruff
and streamers so people will know she's a baby nurse. I'm big enough to
go by myself!"

Beppina looked despairingly at her brother. "Oh, dear!" she said, "I
wish Mammina had taken us with her to the villa instead of leaving us to
go later with Teresina and the governess, when she has everything ready
for us. I wouldn't mind missing Easter Saturday here if only we could
be up at the villa."

"Or if only our dear Babbo had not had to go away to Rome," added Beppo
gloomily. "He would have taken us with him to see all the Easter
sights, and no thanks to Teresina either!"

"But they did go, both of them," sighed Beppina. "So it's Teresina or
stay at home for us, and I'm sure I don't want to stay at home!"

Beppo thrust his hands into his pockets, hunched up his shoulders, and
looked so gloomy and obstinate that Beppina saw something must be done
at once. "Oh, pazienza, Beppo mio!" she said, giving him a little
shake. "It might be worse surely. Come, let's go down to the garden
and feed the pigeons. You get the crumbs while I dress."

"Hurry, then," said Beppo, brightening a little, as Beppina flung him a
butterfly kiss and ran back to her room. She threw on her clothes in
two minutes, fastened her long black hair with a hair-pin, and appeared
again in the corridor just as Beppo returned from the kitchen with a pan
of crumbs in his hand.

The two children then quietly opened the door which led from the Grifoni
apartment into the public hall of the old palace and crept silently down
the long, dark stone stairs to the ground floor, where Pietro, the
porter, lived with his wife and six children. Pietro opened the door of
his own apartment and stepped into the public hall just as the two dark
figures came stealthily down the last flight. Beppo was certainly in a
mood for mischief that morning, for when he saw Pietro he crept softly
up behind him as he was buttoning the last button of his livery, and
suddenly shouted "Boom!" right in his ear!

Pietro thought it was one of his own children who had played this saucy
trick. "Santa Maria!" he cried, wheeling about