run away--he and his dreams. He is a lazy little one, but I can't bear
to scold him," she said. "He is too little to understand."

Her aunt nodded. "Let him dream, but if you are not careful, he will
be badly spoiled."

"No fear of that," Lucia replied, "while Nana has a word to say. She
is always for bringing him up properly, but little good it does. Now
we are ready, I will help you carry home your things, if you will let
Maria walk with me to the gate," Lucia bargained.

"Oh, she may I suppose, though she should be at home helping me prepare
the dinner. I suppose you have some secrets between you that an old
grayhead can't hear," she grumbled good-naturedly.

"Oh, yes a fine secret!" Lucia replied laughing, as she picked up the
greatest share of the burden and led the way.

Maria and her mother lived in an old stone house that had once been a
palace. It was hardly palatial now, but it was very picturesque. It
housed five families besides the Rudinis, and in spite of the many
lines of wash that floated from its windows, it still retained enough
of its old grandeur to be an interesting spot to the occasional tourist
who visited Cellino. Maria and her mother were very proud of this
distinction. It made up somewhat for the loss of their house, which
they had been forced to leave, when six months before Maria's two
brothers had gone off to fight.

The new quarters were not far from the market place and they soon
reached them. Their rooms were on the ground floor, and Lucia and