ouse to the
Rialto, the largest of the three bridges which span the Grand Canal, and
find their way through the maze of streets to the beautiful Piazza of
San Marco. They liked best to go there, not only because it is the most
beautiful spot in Venice, not even because it is said to be the finest
piazza in the world, but also because the flocks of pigeons flying about
in clouds, and lighting upon their shoulders, made them think of their
own little garden in Florence.

Carlotta liked the piazza because it was the best place in Venice to
gather in the soldi. There were always tourists in the square, walking
about with guide-books in their hands, and reading passages about its
history aloud to one another. Indeed, there was no end to the wonderful
things in that famous square. There was the Church of San Marco itself,
with its beautiful mosaics and the four splendid bronze horses over the
entrance. There was the magnificent Ducal Palace, packed full of
thrilling stories of past splendour; and, back of it, spanning the
canal, the "Bridge of Sighs," which led from the palace to a dark prison
on the other side. On the day she first saw that, Beppina shed tears,
thinking of all the unhappy prisoners who had passed over the bridge
never to return. She knew how prisoners felt.

Giovanni tried to comfort her. "Don't you fret about them," he said.
"They're as dead as they can be, all of 'em, and in purgatory or a worse
place, and you can't get 'em out no matter how hard you pray. Come on;
let's go look at the clock."

Beppina knew that Carlotta would be angry if they lingered, but still
she crossed herself and murmured a hurried "Our Father" for the poor
prisoners, on the chance of its helping them, before she ran back to
Beppo and Giovanni. She found them standing before the great
clock-tower which rose above a high gateway over the street. It was
almost noon, and a crowd had gathered to see the clock strike the hour.
There was always a group waiting there on the hour, for this was no
ordinary clock. The children watched with breathless interest as two
bronze giants on the platform high above their heads suddenly lifted
their arms and struck a huge bell twelve times, then relapsed into
bronze statues again. Giovanni told the Twins that at Christmas-time
the Three Wise Men came out of the clock and bowed before the Madonna
and Child. The Twins thought this could be nothing else than a miracle,
but Giovanni, who w