And at first sight it seemed that he must be even richer than they had
dreamed, so elegant did he appear in his checked trousers and starched
shirt. His mustache was waxed, and he walked with a swagger as he jauntily
swung a cane.
All at once the little home on the side canal seemed poorer and shabbier
than ever, and Luisa couldn't help wishing the smells of fish and garlic
from the shop below were not quite so strong.
But though Pietro looked somewhat superciliously at the plain surroundings,
after the strangeness wore off he proved to be a most entertaining guest,
with his stories of the great cities which he had visited. He had been as
far as London, and the children drew close in order that they might not
lose a single syllable of his wonderful tales.
"Well, well!" he exclaimed, introducing the subject of the Campanile, "it
really seems as if the town is waking up! I hear there is a lift in the
tower, and the old angel on the top has been actually placed on a pivot, to
act as a weather vane as well as a thing of beauty. That's more than could
have been expected of slow Venetians. If it were only possible to get in a
few automobiles there might be some hope for the city."
"Automobiles!" Giovanni was indignant, resenting even the mention of such
newfangled contrivances. "Venice wouldn't be Venice with automobiles!"
"Well, motor-cycles, then!" laughed Pietro good naturedly; "anything that
would give some noise and ginger to the old town.
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