priest, glancing at two very dirty paws. "Oh yes! I was to wash them." "_Poi?_" "I was to cross myself as I came out of my room, and to cast down my eyes, like the _Mater Indolorata_ yonder." "And then?" "As I came to church, besides looking grave, I was to walk, not _così_"--and he walked a few paces as he ought _not_ to walk,--"but _così_"--changing the rhythm of his march--"as if I were following my brother's funeral. _E poi finalmente_," (as he resumed his place with a jerk,) "I was to be seated _so_, and hold my tongue till the _padre_ should address me." "Well, my little man," (to another of the motley class,) "were we not talking about the sacrament?" "Oh yes! no one may receive _that_ who has been guilty of any mortal sin." "_Bene_, that's quite right; but _why_ not?" The following gabble, to which it was quite obvious that none were of an age to attach _any_ meaning, served for a reply, and was received as perfectly satisfactory by the priest:--"_Siccome il pane naturale non può dare vita ad un corpo morto; così il pane della Santissima, Eucaristia non può dare vita ad un anima morta._" "And what may mortal sins be?" turning to the next scholar. "_Eh! chi lo sa_; who is to tell you that?" said a young butcher's boy, turning off the question, and freely offering it to any one who would take it up. Upon this the boys made much noise, and laughed out lustily, not encountering any reprimand from the _padre_, or so gentle a one as to prove no check to their mirth. At length, quiet being partially restored, he resumed his task, and asked a child of _six_ years old to give him an example of mortal sin! Not receiving an answer, this question travelled nearly to the end of the first line before any one would take upon himself to venture even a random response; then, at last, by dint of prompting, one boy suggested, that the tasting food before receiving the sacrament was of such a kind; and having been first much commended for his erudition, was next subjected to a long list of _suppositions_ from the examiner; such as, "Suppose I were to drink a little water merely?" "_Niente!_ no, you mus'nt." "Well; but suppose I only took a small piece of consecrated wafer?" "_Ne anchè_; not that neither." "What! would even these small indulgences be infringing the rule?" But as the boy had received an approving "_bene_" for his first negative, he had no difficulty in keeping to his text; and at last the whole class, enjoying the joke of punishing their _padre_ by cutting him off from all supplies at every fresh demand, roared out _in chorus_, "_Niente, niente_--you mus'nt touch a bit;" till, tired of the shouting, the good man proceeded to the next interrogatory. We were tiring too; but being really desirous of hearing, if possible, something more to the purpose, remained, notwithstanding, yet another half hour at our post--indeed quite long enough to be sure that "_niente_" was all we were likely to get for our pains.