He could hardly speak for joy; but, as old habits return unconsciously at great moments in a man's life, he took the cat on his knee and pulled its tail.
"Sing thou also, little beast," he said, gravely; and he pulled the tail till the cat squeaked a little, and he was satisfied.
"Bene!" he cried; "and now for the tonsure and the frock." So Mariuccia was turned out into the passage while he changed his dress.
De Pretis came back a moment later and tried to help him, but he was so much overcome that he could only shed tears and give a last word of advice for the next act.
"You must not sing it too loud, Nino mio," he said.
"Diavolo!" said Nino.

"I should think not!" "But you must not squeak it out in a little wee false voice, as small as this"; the maestro held up his thumb and finger, with a pinch of snuff between them.
"Bah?
Sor Ercole, do you take me for a soprano ?" cried the boy, laughing, as he washed off the paint and the gum where the beard had stuck.

Presently he got into his frock, which, as I told you, was a real one, provided by Ercole's brother, the Franciscan--quite quietly, of course, for it would seem a dreadful thing to use a real monk's frock in an opera.

Then we fastened the rope round his waist, and smoothed his curly hair a little to give him a more pious aspect.

He looked as white as a pillow when the paint was gone.
"Tell me a little, my father," said old Mariuccia, mocking him, "do you fast on Sundays, that you look so pale ?" Whereat Nino struck an attitude, and began singing a love song to the ancient woman.