“Yes, sir. For the last eight months I have had a situation to wait on a lady at Florence, and my sister (who is turned eleven, sir, and can make herself very useful) was allowed to help in the nursery.” “How came you to leave this situation?” “The lady and her family were going to Rome, sir. They would have taken me with them, but they could not take my sister. We are alone in the world, and we never have been parted from each other, and never shall be--so I was obliged to leave the situation.” “And here you are, back at Pisa--with nothing to do, I suppose?” “Nothing yet, sir. We only came back yesterday.” “Only yesterday! You are a lucky girl, let me tell you, to have met with me. I suppose you have somebody in the town who can speak to your character?” “The landlady of this house can, sir.” “And who is she, pray?” “Marta Angrisani, sir.” “What! the well-known sick-nurse? You could not possibly have a better recommendation, child. I remember her being employed at the Melani Palace at the time of the marquis’s last attack of gout; but I never knew that she kept a lodging-house.” “She and her daughter, sir, have owned this house longer than I can recollect. My sister and I have lived in it since I was quite a little child, and I had hoped we might be able to live here again. But the top room we used to have is taken, and the room to let lower down is far more, I am afraid, than we can afford.” “How much is it?” Nanina mentioned the weekly rent of the room in fear and trembling. The steward burst out laughing. “Suppose I offered you money enough to be able to take that room for a whole year at once?” he said. Nanina looked at him in speechless amazement. “Suppose I offered you that?” continued the steward. “And suppose I only ask you in return to put on a fine dress and serve refreshments in a beautiful room to the company at the Marquis Melani’s grand ball? What should you say to that?” Nanina said nothing. She drew back a step or two, and looked more bewildered than before. “You must have heard of the ball,” said the steward, pompously; “the poorest people in Pisa have heard of it. It is the talk of the whole city.”