Thus, another time, the gardener could come alone, and would teach him to bank up the potatoes in the little piece of ground he had hired behind the villa, intending to cultivate it with his own hands.

Manual labour, to which he had recently taken, was a pet hobby of Giovanni's of which Maria did not altogether approve, deeming it incompatible with his habits and with his age.

However, she respected his whim and held her peace.

At that moment the girl from Affile, who served them, came to tell them that their guests were on their way upstairs, and that supper would be ready shortly.
Three people, in fact, were ascending the narrow winding stair of the little villa, Giovanni went down to meet them.

First came his young friend Leyni, who, on greeting Giovanni, begged to be excused for preceding the two ecclesiastics who were his companions.
"I am master of ceremonies," he explained, and proceeded to introduce them there on the stairs.
"The Abbe Marinier of Geneva.