"I'm going away myself; to a place where one feasts all day; beans, lentils, sheep's fry----" "Good appetite to you. Good-bye." "Eh!" cried the old man, when he had gone some distance, "write to me when you're gone, and don't fall into the hands of the scarlet women." Anania had other friends to see including the beggar widow, who received him in a little chamber beautifully clean, and gave him a cup of first-rate coffee. "Are you going to Rebecca?" she said jealously. "_She_'s taken to begging. A shame, isn't it, for a girl like that? Tell her so." "She's a cripple." "Not she. She's cured. What are you looking at? My reaping hook?" "Why's it hanging on the door?" "For the vampire. When the vampire comes in at night she stops to count the teeth of the sickle. She can't count further than seven so she keeps beginning again. Then the dawn comes, and the moment she sees the light she flies off. Why do you laugh? It's quite true. God bless you, dear; good journey and do the place credit!" said the beggar, going with him to the street. He went to Rebecca. Huddled up in her dark hole she seemed a wild beast sick in its den--though considerably more than twenty she was still the size of a child. Seeing the lad, she flushed all over and offered him a bunch of black grapes on a rude cork-tray. "Take them. I've nothing else!" "Say 'thou'[12] to me," said Anania, taking one from the bunch. "I'm not worthy. I'm not Margherita Carboni. I'm a poor wretch," said the girl excitedly. "Take the whole bunch. It's quite clean. I haven't touched it. Uncle Pera _su gattu_ brought it." "Uncle Pera?" said Anania, who believed all the scandals about the old gardener. "Yes, poor old fellow. He always remembers me and brings me something every day. Last month I was ill, for my sores broke out again. Uncle Pera sent for the doctor and brought me my medicines himself. He's what my father ought to have been. But my father has left me! Well, never mind." (for she saw that touched Anania). "Why won't you take the whole bunch? It's really quite clean!" "Give it to me. But where can I put it? Let me wrap it in this newspaper. I'm off to-morrow. Going to Cagliari. I do hope you'll get well." "Good-bye," she said, tears in her eyes, "I wish I were going away." Next Anania saw the handsome Agata at the tavern door so he stepped across to take leave of her. "She smiled, her big eyes sparkling, and kissed her hand. "Yes, it's good-bye," said Anania, coming closer. "You've been flirting with that lump of dirt," she said, pointing to Rebecca. "Go away, you smell of her." For some reason, Anania remembered Margherita, and felt shocked. "She's jealous of me!" continued Agata, making eyes at him. "Look! she's watching you. The silly fool! She's always thinking of you because last New Year's Eve she drew you for a sweetheart." "Oh, shut up! I'm off to-morrow. Can I do anything for you?" "Take me with you!"