Before the servant could get to the priest’s lodgings a visitor had applied there for admission, and had been immediately received by Father Rocco himself.  This favored guest was a little man, very sprucely and neatly dressed, and oppressively polite in his manner.  He bowed when he first sat down, he bowed when he answered the usual inquiries about his health, and he bowed, for the third time, when Father Rocco asked what had brought him from Florence.

“Rather an awkward business,” replied the little man, recovering himself uneasily after his third bow.  “The dressmaker, named Nanina, whom you placed under my wife’s protection about a year ago—­”

“What of her?” inquired the priest eagerly.

“I regret to say she has left us, with her child-sister, and their very disagreeable dog, that growls at everybody.”

“When did they go?”

“Only yesterday.  I came here at once to tell you, as you were so very particular in recommending us to take care of her.  It is not our fault that she has gone.  My wife was kindness itself to her, and I always treated her like a duchess.  I bought dinner-mats of her sister; I even put up with the thieving and growling of the disagreeable dog—­”

“Where have they gone to?  Have you found out that?”

“I have found out, by application at the passport-office, that they have not left Florence—­but what particular part of the city they have removed to, I have not yet had time to discover.”

“And pray why did they leave you, in the first place?  Nanina is not a girl to do anything without a reason.  She must have had some cause for going away.  What was it?”

The little man hesitated, and made a fourth bow.

“You remember your private instructions to my wife and myself, when you first brought Nanina to our house?” he said, looking away rather uneasily while he spoke.

“Yes; you were to watch her, but to take care that she did not suspect you.  It was just possible, at that time, that she might try to get back to Pisa without my knowing it; and everything depended on her remaining at Florence.  I think, now, that I did wrong to distrust her; but it was of the last importance to provide against all possibilities, and to abstain from putting too much faith in my own good opinion of the girl.  For these reasons, I certainly did instruct you to watch her privately.  So far you are quite right; and I have nothing to complain of.  Go on.”

“You remember,” resumed the little man, “that the first consequence of our following your instructions was a discovery (which we immediately communicated to you) that she was secretly learning to write?”

“Yes; and I also remember sending you word not to show that you knew what she was doing; but to wait and see if she turned her knowledge of writing to account, and took or sent any letters to the post.  You informed me, in your regular monthly report, that she nearer did anything of the kind.”