ss under prospective obloquy: he needed soft looks and caresses
too much ever to be impudent.

"In the Mercato?" said Tessa. "Not to-morrow morning, because the
_patrigno_ will be there, and he is so cross. Oh! but you have money,
and he will not be cross if you buy some salad. And there are some
chestnuts. Do you like chestnuts?"

He said nothing, but continued to look down at her with a dreamy
gentleness, and Tessa felt herself in a state of delicious wonder;
everything seemed as new as if she were being earned on a chariot of
clouds.

"Holy Virgin!" she exclaimed again presently. "There is a holy father
like the Bishop I saw at Prato."

Tito looked up too, and saw that he had unconsciously advanced to within
a few yards of the conjuror, Maestro Vaiano, who for the moment was
forsaken by the crowd. His face was turned away from them, and he was
occupied with the apparatus on his altar or table, preparing a new
diversion by the time the interest in the dancing should be exhausted.
The monkey was imprisoned under the red cloth, out of reach of mischief,
and the youngster in the white surplice was holding a sort of dish or
salver, from which his master was taking some ingredient. The
altar-like table, with its gorgeous cloth, the row of tapers, the sham
episcopal costume, the surpliced attendant, and even the movements of
the mitred figure, as he alternately bent his head and then raised
something before the lights, were a sufficiently near parody of sacred
things to rouse poor little Tessa's veneration; and there was some
additional awe produced by the mystery of their apparition in this spot,
for when she had seen an altar in the street before, it had been on
Corpus Christi Day, and there had been a procession to account for it.
She crossed herself and looked up at Tito, but then, as if she had had
time for reflection, said, "It is because of the Nativita."

Meanwhile Vaiano had turned round, raising his hands to his mitre with
the intention of changing his dress, when his quick eye recognised Tito
and Tessa who were both looking at him, their faces being shone upon by
the light of his tapers, while his own was in shadow.

"Ha! my children!" he said, instantly, stretching out his hands in a
benedictory attitude, "you are come to be married. I commend your
penitence--the blessing of Holy Church can never come too late."

But whilst he was speaking, he had taken in the whole meaning of Tessa's
attitude an