awestruck thoughts about
her; but now everything else was overcome by the sense that loving
protection was near her. The tears only fell the faster, relieving her
swelling heart, as she looked up at the heavenly face, and, putting her
hand to her necklace, said sobbingly--

"I can't give them to be burnt. My husband--he bought them for me--and
they are so pretty--and Ninna--oh, I wish I'd never come!"

"Do not ask her for them," said Romola, speaking to the white-robed boys
in a tone of mild authority. "It answers no good end for people to give
up such things against their will. That is not what Fra Girolamo
approves: he would have such things given up freely."

Madonna Romola's word was not to be resisted, and the white train moved
on. They even moved with haste, as if some new object had caught their
eyes; and Tessa felt with bliss that they were gone, and that her
necklace and clasp were still with her.

"Oh, I will go back to the house," she said, still agitated; "I will go
nowhere else. But if I should meet them again, and you not be there?"
she added, expecting everything from this heavenly lady.

"Stay a little," said Romola. "Come with me under this doorway, and we
will hide the necklace and clasp, and then you will be in no danger."

She led Tessa under the archway, and said, "Now, can we find room for
your necklace and belt in your basket? Ah! your basket is full of crisp
things that will break: let us be careful, and lay the heavy necklace
under them."

It was like a change in a dream to Tessa--the escape from nightmare into
floating safety and joy--to find herself taken care of by this lady, so
lovely, and powerful, and gentle. She let Romola unfasten her necklace
and clasp, while she herself did nothing but look up at the face that
bent over her.

"They are sweets for Lillo and Ninna," she said, as Romola carefully
lifted up the light parcels in the basket, and placed the ornaments
below them.

"Those are your children?" said Romola, smiling. "And you would rather
go home to them than see any more of the Carnival? Else you have not
far to go to the Piazza de' Signori, and there you would see the pile
for the great bonfire."

"No, oh no!" said Tessa, eagerly; "I shall never like bonfires again. I
will go back."

"You live at some castello, doubtless," said Romola, not waiting for an
answer. "Towards which gate do you go?"

"Towards Por' Santa Croce."

"Come, then," said Romola,