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Colville took the Piazza San Marco in on his way to Palazzo Pinti on the

o there, and he stood at the

looking out with the old h the place--two young fellows in old Florentine dress, with a

third habited as a nun

"Ah," said the old ently, "I wish they hadn't introduced the nun!

But I suppose they can't help signalising their escape from the

domination of the Church on all occasions It's a natural reaction It

will all coospel," said Colville

"Of course; there is no other gospel That is the gospel"

"Do you suppose that Savonarola would think it had all coht,"

asked Colville, a little maliciously, "if he could look from the ith us here and see the wicked old Carnival, that he tried so hard to

kill four hundred years ago, still alive? And kicking?" he added, in

cognisance of the caper of one of the maskers

"Oh yes; why not? By this time he knows that his puritanis for the moment only I should rather like to

have Savonarola here with us; he would find these costumes fa all I can of the

Carnival, as part ofelse"