"Aye, that is it, Signori," observed Benedetta--"a poor woman cannot go
to mass without having her mind disturbed by the thoughts of the wrongs
done the head of the church. Had these things come from Luterani, it
might have been borne; but they say the Francese were once all good
Catholics!"

"So were the Luterani, bella Benedetta, to their chief schismatic and
leader, the German monk himself."

This piece of information caused great surprise, even the podestà
himself turning an inquiring glance at his superior, as much as to
acknowledge his own wonder that a Protestant should ever have been
anything but a Protestant--or rather, a Lutheran anything but a
Lutheran--the word Protestant being too significant to be in favor among
those who deny there were any just grounds for a protest at all. That
Luther had ever been a Romanist was perfectly wonderful, even in the
eyes of Vito Viti.

"Signore, you would hardly mislead these honest people, in a matter as
grave as this!" exclaimed the podestà.

"I do but tell you truth; and one of these days you shall hear the whole
story, neighbor Viti. 'Tis worth an hour of leisure to any man, and is
very consoling and useful to a Christian. But whom have you below,
Benedetta--I hear steps on the stairs, and wish not to be seen."

The widow stepped promptly forward to meet her new guests, and to show
them into a commoner room, below stairs, when her movement was
anticipated by the door's opening, and a man's standing on the