I played more softly so as not to frighten the baby, and also to entice him to come nearer. With hands held out and swaying first on one foot, then on the other, he came on slowly. A few steps more and he would have reached us, but at that moment the mother looked round. She saw her baby at once. But instead of running after him as I had thought she would, she called to him, and the child obediently turned round and went back to her. Perhaps these people did not like dance music; it was quite possible. I told Zerbino and Dulcie to lie down, and I began to sing my _canzonetta_. Never did I try so hard to please. I had reached the end of the second line, when I saw a man in a round jacket, and I felt that he was coming towards me. At last! I tried to sing with even more fervor. "Hello, what are you doing here, young rogue?" he cried. I stopped, amazed at his words, and watched him coming nearer, with my mouth open. "What are you doing here, I say?" "Singing, sir." "Have you got permission to sing on a public square in our village?" "No, sir." "Well, be off; if you don't I'll have you arrested." "But, sir...." "Be off, you little beggar." I knew from my poor master's example what it would cost me if I went against the town authorities. I did not make him repeat his order; I hurried off. Beggar! That was not fair. I had not begged; I had sung. In five minutes I had left behind me this inhospitable, but well guarded, village. My dogs followed me with their heads lowered, and their tails between their legs. They certainly knew that some bad luck had befallen us. Capi, from time to time, went ahead of us and turned round to look at me questioningly with his intelligent eyes. Any one else in his place would have questioned me, but Capi was too well bred to be indiscreet. I saw his lip tremble in the effort he made to keep back his protests. When we were far enough away from the village, I signed to them to stop, and the three dogs made a circle round me, Capi in the middle, his eyes on mine. "As we had no permission to play, they sent us away," I explained. "Well, then?" asked Capi, with a wag of his head. "So then we shall have to sleep in the open air and go without supper." At the word "supper" there was a general bark. I showed them my three sous. "You know that is all we have. If we spend those three sous to-night, we shall have nothing left for breakfast to-morrow. So, as we have had something to-day, it is better to save this." And I put my three sous back in my pocket. Capi and Dulcie bent their heads resignedly, but Zerbino, who was not so good, and who besides was a gourmand, continued to growl. I looked at him severely. "Capi, explain to Zerbino, he doesn't seem to understand," I said to faithful _Capitano_.