of princesses and of journeys by sea and
land. The act of speaking induced a curious nervous complaint, useful
because it showed which was the speaker; not only did he move his head
and his right arm in a very natural and Sicilian manner, but he was
constantly on the point of losing his balance, and only saved himself
from falling by swinging one leg from the hip forwards or backwards as
the case required. The listening knight stood firm till he had to speak,
and then he was attacked by the complaint and the other became still.

At first I was puzzled as to the actual size of the figures and, starting
with the idea that marionettes are always small, assumed that these were
about three feet high; but, as the novelty wore off, I compared them with
the audience and especially with the boys sitting in the corners and with
various assistants of whom occasional glimpses could be caught at the
wings; sometimes the hand of an operator appeared below the scenery and
gave a hint, and gradually I came to the conclusion that the puppets
could not be much smaller than life, if at all.

The operators must have been standing on a platform behind the back
scene; the figures were able to pass one another, but never came forward
more than a step or two, the footlights being in the way, and no doubt
the operators could not reach further forward than they did. Each figure
was worked by two iron rods, one to his head and one to his right hand,
and several strings to which after a few minutes I paid no attention;
perhaps their very obviousness saved them from notice. Any attempt to
conceal them would have been a mistake, for what is the use of announcing
a performance by marionettes and then pretending there is no mechanism?
Besides, if one cannot accept a few conventions one had better stay away
from the theatre altogether.

At the conclusion of the interview the knights followed one another off;
and the buoyancy of their walk must be seen to be believed. The students
have seen it and believe it so thoroughly that, when they meet one
another in the Quattro Canti, they not unfrequently adopt it to the
amusement of the bystanders. But the students make the mistake of
slightly overdoing it. The marionettes often take a step or two quite
naturally, and this, while adding to the absurdity (which cannot be the
intention of the operator), also shows what is possible and makes one
think that with a little extra trouble they might be made to