This was promised; and Mrs. Menotti showed the girl into a neat little
bedroom that looked out upon the garden, whence a delicious scent of
flowers rose through the open window.

With every day that passed Stineli became more and more necessary to
little Silvio. If she only went out-of-doors for a few moments, he
considered it a misfortune. He was obedient and quiet enough, however,
when she stayed with him; and did every thing she bade him do, and did
not tease his mother as before.

And it seemed as if the nervous little fellow had less frequent attacks
of pain since Stineli's arrival. Indeed, he had not complained since her
coming, and she had been with them many days.

It must certainly be acknowledged that she was the most amusing of
companions, and turned every thing that came in her way into a game. She
had always lived with children, and constantly had their entertainment
in her mind. She had also learned a great many words from Silvio, and
could soon chatter away with him at her ease; and when she did get the
words twisted and upside down, it was even more funny, and Silvio looked
upon that as a game made expressly for him.

Mrs. Menotti never saw Rico entering the garden but she ran towards him,
for now she was at liberty to move about freely; and she always drew him
a little aside to tell him what a treasure he had brought into the house
for her, how happy and gay her Silvio had become, and that she never
would have believed that such a girl as Stineli existed on the face of
the earth; for with Silvio she was as merry as if her only pleasure
consisted in playing the little games he liked, while she was as wise
and intelligent as any grown woman with Mrs. Menotti, and understood