uite
across Florence in a driving rain to carry a lady a ball-dress. We were
dripping wet when we reached her palace, but the dress was in good
order, and we hoped, considering the lateness of the hour, and the bad
weather, and so on, that the lady would give us something handsome,
perhaps as much as half a franc. Well, she was very glad to see us, and,
after putting on the dress, she said that she must give us something.
And so she did,--five centimes [one cent] to each of us! I swallowed my
anger, and put the coin into my pocket, but my companion fitted hers
nicely into the key-hole of the hall door as soon as it was closed
behind us. "There!" says she; "now my lady miser will have to send for a
locksmith, and that will teach her not to be so stingy another time." So
we both ran home laughing, in spite of our disappointment. But we were
not so fortunate as to get off without a scolding. The next day the lady
came to Madama and complained of our impertinence. Madama scolded us a
little; but when she heard what a pitiful _buona mano_ the lady had
given us, she could not help laughing herself.

Still, she never thought of raising our pay, and as I improved, and felt
myself quite mistress of my trade, I began to work over hours, at one or
two houses where La Mamma had patrons, and in that way I got on very
quickly. It was a proud day for me, signora, when I first began to give
La Mamma something toward the housekeeping. I wanted to give her
two-thirds of all I earned, but she would not let me. When I began to
earn a franc and a half a day, she accepted half a franc, but she made
me put away the franc for my _dote_. La Mamma always walked with me to
the houses where I went to work, and in the evening either came for me
herself or sent Marc Antonio. And she bade me be very careful and
watchful and keep myself to myself. Often I thought her severe and
suspicious, but now I thank God for the mother he gave us. We owe all
the happiness of our lives to her.

I had been working for myself, as I have said, for more than five years.
I had plenty of patrons, and was well thought of. Plain as I am,
signora, I had not wanted for opportunities to go wrong; but, thank God,
I never did. Once, too, I had thought of being married, but, happily for
me, I found out in time that I had set my love on a bad man, so I broke
off my engagement, and put the thought of marriage away from me. Fausta
had been married a long time, and so had Marc Ant