and the
_compare_; but he never said a word about it to annoy her, but bore it
like a philosopher. The maid was always by her mistress' bedside, and
the mistress said to her: "Remember that, if I die, you must watch by me
quite alone, for I won't have any one else." And the maid promised her
that she would. Well, that day went by, and the next day, and the next,
and the lady got worse and worse, until at last she died. You can fancy
how sorry her husband was. And the maid and the other servants were very
sorry, too, for she was a very good lady. The other servants offered to
sit up and watch with the maid; but she said: "No; I must sit up by
myself, for my mistress said she would have no others." And they said:
"Very well. If you want anything, ring the bell, and we shall be ready
to do anything you want." Then the maid had four tapers lighted, and
placed at the foot of the bed, and she took the Office for the Dead in
her hand and began to read it.

Just at midnight the door of the room burst open, and she saw the figure
of the _compare_ come in. Directly she saw him she felt her blood turn
to water. She tried to cry out, but she was so terrified that she
couldn't make a sound. Then she got up from her chair and went to ring
the bell; and the dead man, without saying a word (because, of course,
dead folks can't talk), gave her a sharp blow on the hand to prevent
her from ringing. And he signed her to take a taper in her hand, and
come with him to her mistress' bed. She obeyed. When the dead man got to
the bedside, he took the lady, and sat her up on the bed, and he began
to put her stockings on her feet, and he dressed her from head to foot.
When she was dressed, he pulled her out of bed, took her by the arm, and
they both went out at the door, with the maid going before them to light
the way. In this palace there was an underground passage--there are many
like it in Venice--and they went down into it. When they got to a
certain part of it, he gave a great knock to the taper that the maid had
in her hand, and left her in the dark. The maid was so terrified that
she fell down on the ground, all rolled up together like a ball, and
there she lay.

At daybreak the other servants thought they would go and see how the
maid was getting on, as she had not called them all night. So they went
and opened the door of the room, and saw nobody there at all, either
living or dead. They were frightened out of their wits, and ran to t