you're a republican, too!' answered her mother). That the business,
of course, was not what it had been in the days of her husband, who
had a great gift for the confectionery line ... ('_Un grand uomo_!'
Pantaleone confirmed with a severe air); but that still, thank God,
they managed to get along!




V


Gemma listened to her mother, and at one minute laughed, then sighed,
then patted her on the shoulder, and shook her finger at her, and then
looked at Sanin; at last, she got up, embraced her mother and kissed
her in the hollow of her neck, which made the latter laugh extremely
and shriek a little. Pantaleone too was presented to Sanin. It
appeared he had once been an opera singer, a baritone, but had long
ago given up the theatre, and occupied in the Roselli family a
position between that of a family friend and a servant. In spite of
his prolonged residence in Germany, he had learnt very little German,
and only knew how to swear in it, mercilessly distorting even the
terms of abuse. '_Ferroflucto spitchebubbio_' was his favourite
epithet for almost every German. He spoke Italian with a perfect
accent--for was he not by birth from Sinigali, where may be heard
'_lingua toscana in bocca romana_'! Emilio, obviously, played the
invalid and indulged himself in the pleasant sensations of one who has
only just escaped a danger or is returning to health after illness;
it was evident, too, that the family spoiled him. He thanked Sanin
bashfully, but devoted himself chiefly to the biscuits and sweetmeats.