"Come with me a few steps, Rico," said the good woman, as she went
through the garden. "I must ask you something more."

Rico had to repeat his father's name twice over; and when they had
fairly reached the door of the priest's house, for a third time Mrs.
Menotti asked,--

"What did you say it was? Are you quite sure?"

She hurried into the priest's house, and left Rico wondering what could
have happened to put her into such a way.

Rico had brought his violin with him, for he knew that Stineli was
particularly pleased to hear it. When he reached Silvio's room, he
found the little boy and his companion in the best of humor. Stineli
had fulfilled her promise about the story of Peterli's funny doings,
and this had amused Silvio exceedingly. When the latter espied the
violin, he cried out at once, "Now let us sing; let us sing the
'Lambkins' with Stineli."

Stineli had never heard her song since it was composed that day on the
mountain, for now Rico played such beautiful airs that she had quite
forgotten the old ones. But she was astonished to hear Silvio asking
for the German song, for she had no idea of the hundred times the two
boys had repeated it during the three years that were past. She was
much pleased to hear the old song again, and, above all, to sing it
with Rico; and so they began. Silvio sang with all his might,--without
understanding a single word, to be sure, but the tune was quite
correct. It was the girl's turn to laugh now; for Silvio's
pronunciation was most wonderful, and she could not join in for