The Cardinal's Snuff-Box Part 12

"A thousand thanks, Excellency. With your permission, we must not turn back. We must walk on till later. At night we will find a house."

"They are too proud to own that their house will be a hedge," she said to Peter, again in English. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked the children.

"No, Excellency. We had bread in the village, below there," answered the boy.

"You will not come home with me, and have a good dinner, and a good night's sleep?"

"Pardon, Excellency. With your favour, the father would not wish us to turn back."

The d.u.c.h.essa looked at the little girl.

The little girl wore a medal of the Immaculate Conception on a ribbon round her neck--a forlorn blue ribbon, soiled and frayed.

"Oh, you have a holy medal," said the d.u.c.h.essa.

"Yes, n.o.ble lady," said the girl, dropping a courtesy, and lifting up her sad little weazened face.

"She has been saying her prayers all along the road," the boy volunteered.

"That is right," approved the d.u.c.h.essa. "You have not made your First Communion yet, have you?"

"No, Excellency," said the girl. "I shall make it next year."

"And you?" the d.u.c.h.essa asked the boy.

"I made mine at Corpus Christi," said the boy, with a touch of pride.

The d.u.c.h.essa turned to Peter.

"Do you know, I haven't a penny in my pocket. I have come out without my purse."

"How much ought one to give them?" Peter asked.

"Of course, there is the fear that they might be robbed," she reflected.

"If one should give them a note of any value, they would have to change it; and they would probably be robbed. What to do?"

"I will speak to the boy," said Peter. "Would you like to go to Turin by train?" he asked.

The boy and girl looked at each other. "Yes, Excellency," said the boy.

"But if I give you money for your fare, will you know how to take care of it--how to prevent people from robbing you?"

"Oh, yes, Excellency."

"You could take the train this evening, at Venzona, about two kilometres from here, in the direction you are walking. In an hour or two you would arrive at Milan; there you would change into the train for Turin. You would be at Turin to-morrow morning."

"Yes, Excellency."

"But if I give you money, you will not let people rob you? If I give you a hundred lire?"

The boy drew back, stared, as if frightened.

"A hundred lire--?" he said.

"Yes," said Peter.

The boy looked at his sister.

"Pardon, n.o.bility," he said. "With your condescension, does it cost a hundred lire to go to Turin by train?"

"Oh, no. I think it costs eight or ten."

Again the boy looked at his sister.

"Pardon, n.o.bility. With your Excellency's permission, we should not desire a hundred lire then," he said.

Peter and the d.u.c.h.essa were not altogether to be blamed, I hope, if they exchanged the merest hint of a smile.

"Well, if I should give you fifty?" Peter asked.

"Fifty lire, Excellency?"

Peter nodded.

Still again the boy sought counsel of his sister, with his eyes.

"Yes, Excellency," he said.

"You are sure you will be able to take care of it--you will not let people rob you," the d.u.c.h.essa put in, anxious. "They will wish to rob you. If you go to sleep in the train, they will try to pick your pocket."

"I will hide it, n.o.ble lady. No one shall rob me. If I go to sleep in the train, I will sit on it, and my sister will watch. If she goes to sleep, I will watch," the boy promised confidently.

"You must give it to him in the smallest change you can possibly sc.r.a.pe together," she advised Peter.

And with one-lira, two-lira, ten-lira notes, and with a little silver and copper, he made up the amount.

"A thousand thanks, Excellency," said the boy, with a bow that was magnificent; and he proceeded to distribute the money between various obscure pockets.

"A thousand thanks, Excellency," said the girl, with a courtesy.

"Addio, a buon' viaggio," said Peter.

"Addio, Eccellenze," said the boy.

"Addio, Eccellenze," said the girl.

But the d.u.c.h.essa impulsively stooped down, and kissed the girl on her poor little wrinkled brow. And when she stood up, Peter saw that her eyes were wet.