_Ella era assisa sopra la verdura Seated she was upon the verdure fair Allegra; e ghirlandetta avea All joyous; and a wreath had contesta: fashioned; Di quanti por creasse mai natura To paint the radiant vesture she did wear Di tanti era dipinta la sua vesta Each flower that blooms its brightest hues had shed. E come in prima al giovin pose When of the youth's advance cura she first was ware Alquanto paurosa alzò la testa: With motion half of fear she raised her head, Poi con la bianca man ripreso il Then lifting her robe's hem lembo with one white hand, Levossi in piè con di fior pieno She rose, and so with un grembo._ flower-filled lap did stand. Nanna listened without understanding a word. She--opened her lips to say--to say--At last she said:-- "I've heard that before." "From whom?" cried Anania. "From Efès Cau." "Liar! Now away with you at once, or I'll beat you. No, wait a minute! tell me everything that has happened at Nuoro this year." She began a strange rigmarole, mixing up her own affairs with the events of the town. Every now and then she returned to Margherita. "She's the lovely one! The rose of roses! the pink! the sugar plum! Oh and her clothes! Oh God, never have been seen such marvels! When she passes people watch her like a shooting star. A gentleman charged me to steal a scrap of her scarf. He wanted to wear it on his heart. The maid up there at Carboni's says that every morning her young lady finds on her window a love letter tied up with a blue ribbon. But the rose can't do with anything except a pink. Well, well! hand me thy cup!" concluded the babbler giving herself a slap on the mouth, "it's no good! I knew your Worship when he had a tail and I can't say _Lei_[19] to him." "And pray when had I a tail?" asked Anania, threatening her with his finger. Nanna ran away, shaking and laughing, her hand over her mouth. From the courtyard she shouted up to the student who was leaning out of his window-- "It was the tail of your shirt, your Worship!" Again Anania threatened her and again Nanna shook with laughter; the little pig, now loose, snuffed at the woman's feet; a hen jumped on its back and pecked its ears. A sparrow perched on the elder, swinging on the end of a twig. And Anania was so happy that he sang another verse from Poliziano: