ss, too,
has no indication of her rank, Nina."

"That shall be cared for, padre."

"Why shouldn't that young soldier come along with her? Tell him that
our choir is magnificent; whisper him that the beautiful Marchesa di
Guardoni sits on the very bench beside Miss Dalton."

Nina nodded an assent.

"The young girl herself is lax enough about her duties, Nina; she has
not been even once to confession."

"That comes of these English!" cried Nina; "they make our service a
constant jest. There is always some vulgar quizzing about saint-worship,
or relic reverence, or the secrets of the confessional, going on amongst
them."

"Does she permit this?" asked the priest, eagerly.

"She blushes sometimes, occasionally she smiles with a good-humor meant
to deprecate these attacks, and now and then, when the sallies have been
pushed too far, I have seen her in tears some hours after."

"Oh, if these heretics would but abstain from ridicule!" cried the
canon. "The least lettered amongst them can scoff and gibe and rail.
They have their stock subjects of sarcasm, too, handed down from father
to son, poor, witless little blasphemies, thefts from Voltaire, who
laughed at themselves, and much mischief do they work! Let them begin to
read, however, let them commence to 'inquire,' as the phrase has it, and
the game is our own."

"I think, padre," said Jekyl, "that more of your English converts are
made upon principles of pure economy. Popery, like truffles, is so cheap
abroad!"

"Away with you! away with you!" cried the padre, rebukingly. "They
come to us as the children seek their mother's breast. Hand me the
maccaroni."

"Padre mio," broke in Jekyl, "I wish you would be Catholic enough to be
less Popish. We have other plots in hand here, besides increasing the
funds of the 'Holy Carmelites;' and while we are disputing about the
spoil, the game may betake themselves to other hunting-grounds. These
Onslows must not be suffered to go hence."

"Albert is right," interposed Nina. "When the 'Midchekoff' condescends
to think himself in love with the Dalton girl, when the Guardsman has
lost some thousands more than he can pay, when my Lady has offended one
half of Florence and bullied the other, then the city will have taken a
hold upon their hearts, and you may begin your crusade when you please.
Indeed, I am not sure, if the season be a dull one, I would not listen
to you myself."

"As you listened once before to the Abbe D'Es