They cast sidelong looks at the Virgin and then looked at each other, with a mysterious gesture that Gabriel was quite unable to understand.
"You have all drunk a good deal, is it not so ?" said Luna.

"You do wrong, for you know that drink is the degradation of the poor." "A day is a day, uncle," said the Perrero; "it delights us that the great ones are dying.

You see, I esteem His Eminence highly, but let him go to the devil! The only satisfaction a poor man has is to see that the end comes also to the rich." "Drink," said the bell-ringer, offering him the bottle.

"It is a pleasure to find ourselves here, well and happy, while to-morrow His Eminence will find himself between four boards; we shall have to ring the little bell all day!" The Tato drank, passing the bottle to the shoemaker, who held it a long time glued to his gullet.

Of the three he seemed the most tipsy; his eyes were bloodshot, he stared stonily on every side and remained silent, he only gave a forced laugh when anyone spoke to him, as if his thoughts were very, very far off.
On the other hand, the bell-ringer was far more loquacious than usual.
He spoke of the cardinal's fortune, at the wealth that would fall to Dona Visitacion, of the joy many of the Chapter must feel that night.
He interrupted himself to take a pull at the brandy bottle, passing it afterwards to his companions.