"It*s a necklace worth money, but I shall get little by it, fox
my heart's too tender for a trader's ; I have promised to keep
it in pledge."

"Pray tell me where you got it: — from a little woman
named Tessa, is it not true?"

" Ah ! if you know her ," said Bratti , " and would redeem
it of me at a small profit, and give it her again, you'd be doing
a charity, for she cried at parting with it — you'd have
thought she was running into a brook. It's a smidi profit HI
charge you. You shall have it for a florin , for I don't like to
be hard-hearted."

"Where is she?" said Somola, giving him the money,
and unclasping the necklace from the basket in joyM
agitation.
" Outside the gate there , at the other end of the Boigo , at
old Sibilla Manetti's: anybody will tell you which is the
house."

Bomola went along with winged feet, blessing tliat in-
cident of the Carnival which had made her learn by heart the
appearance of this necklace. Soon she was at the house she
sought The young woman and the children were in the
inner room — were to have been fetched away a fortnight ago
and more — had no money , only their clothes , to pay a poor
widow with for their food and lodgmg. But since madonna

knew them Bomola waited to hearno more, bat opened

the door.
