Suddenly he looked up.
"Talking of the plague," he said, "it is not always wise.

It did a foolish thing yesterday--a very foolish thing.

It took one of the richest men in the neighborhood, young too, strong and brave; looked as if he would never die.

The plague touched him in the morning--before sunset he was nailed up and put down in his big family vault--a cold lodging, and less handsomely furnished than his grand marble villa on the heights yonder.

When I heard the news I told the Madonna she was wicked.