In all this trouble and uncertainty it was a real comfort to Mrs.
Menotti to see the long black coat of the kind-hearted old priest,
who had not been to visit her for a long time, coming through the
garden gate.
She sprang up from her seat, crying out joyfully, "Look, Silvio; there
comes the dear, good priest!" and went towards him. But Silvio, in his
anger over every thing, said, as loud as he could, "I would rather it
were Stineli!"
Then he crept quickly under the coverlet, so that the priest need not
know where the voice came from. His mother, however, was dreadfully
shocked, and begged the good man, who now entered the room, not to take
offence at this greeting, as it was not really so bad as it sounded.
Silvio did not stir, but said softly, under the bed-cover,--
"I really mean just what I say."
The father must have had a suspicion of where the voice came from. He
stepped at once to the bedside; and, though there was not a hair of
Silvio's head even to be seen, he said, "God bless you, my son! how are
you? How is your health nowadays? and why do you creep into this hidden
hole like a little badger? Come out, and explain it all to me. What do
you mean by Stineli?"
Now Silvio crept forth, for he had the priest in great respect now that
he was so close to him. He stretched out his little thin hand in
greeting, and said, "Rico's Stineli, I mean.
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