IV + 

Rosa was deeply shocked and so was Nerone, while the Signora Rocca was appalled. She announced her intention of calling on Teresa for the purpose of expressing her disgust. + 

“Leave them in peace, for God’s sake!” advised her husband. “Have they not already had their troubles?” + 

“And have I not had mine?” inquired his wife severely, and whenever she said this, Rocca’s tardy conscience smote him, and he thought it wiser to be silent. + 

Rosa spoke to Mario, who, although not very pious, had been known to make Novenas for his bunion. “Is it not dreadful, Mario, the little Gian-Luca⁠—no father and now no religion, not at all!” And finding her Berta, she began to kiss her warmly, whereupon her Berta yelled. + 

Rosa gave Gian-Luca a little Rosary and taught him to say his beads; but Gian-Luca sucked and bit the beads until they came apart, and one of them got swallowed by mistake. + 

Nerone stumped round to Fabio on an angry wooden leg: “First you naturalize yourself, then you neglect yourself the Church, then you take Gian-Luca away, what next I ask? You become a Protestant perhaps? No wonder you sell us bad salame.” + 

Except for Signora Rocca, they all attacked poor Fabio; not one of them dared tackle Teresa. The butcher’s wife was different, she had money of her own, she went to Mass in purple silk on Sundays. Teresa was busy in the cash-desk when she arrived, but together they went into the parlor. + 

“A little glass of wine?” + 

“No, I thank you.” + 

“What a pity, we have some such excellent Chianti!” + 

“I have come,” said the signora, taking the easy-chair, “to discuss the wine of the spirit.” + 

“Ah!” murmured Teresa. “Do you think that we should stock it?” + 

“I have come,” said the signora, “to speak about Gian-Luca, whose soul is in the greatest peril.” + 

“How so?” inquired Teresa. + 

“Can you ask?” Signora Rocca opened her enormous eyes as far as they would go. “Can you ask, when I hear that you have sent him to the Board School where they teach the worship of the devil?” + 

“I have not heard that,” said Teresa very mild, “but no doubt it will come in useful.” + 

“You appal me, signora!” + 

“Do not let that be so⁠—I wish only to reassure you.” + 

“But I beg you to listen⁠—a child born in our midst, and a child already at so grave a disadvantage⁠—through the misfortune of his birth⁠—” + 

“But should not that recommend him to God⁠—if, as they say, He takes care of the afflicted?” + 

“God works through His Church alone, signora⁠—would you snatch Gian-Luca from the Church? Consider!” + 

“ ‘Consideration is a constant source of error,’ ” murmured Teresa gently. + 

But Signora Rocca was also versed in proverbs. “ ‘You give the lettuce into the keeping of the geese!’ ” she quoted in her guttural Genoese. + 

“I do nothing,” said Teresa, and her tone was quite unruffled. “ ‘He who does nothing makes no blunders.’ ” + 

“ ‘He who does evil never lacks for an excuse,’ ” retorted the signora promptly. + 

“It is also said,” Teresa reminded her, smiling, “that: ‘The elephant cannot feel the biting of the flea.’ ” + 