His "Yip! Yip!" was an exact imitation, though in a deeper guttural, of Beppo's cries before them.

It would have taken a close observer to suspect that he had not been bred to the calling.
"You have not always been a donkey-driver ?" she inquired after an interval of amused scrutiny.
"Not always, signorina." "What did you do in New York ?" "I play hand-organ, signorina." Tony removed his hand from the bridle and ground "Yankee Doodle" from an imaginary instrument.
"I make musica, signorina, wif--wif--how you say, monk, monka?
His name Vittorio Emanuele.

Ver' nice monk--simpatica affezionata." "You've never been an actor ?" "An actor?
No, signorina." "You should try it; I fancy you might have some talent in that direction." "_Si_, signorina.

Sank you." She let the conversation drop, and Tony, after an interval of silence, fell to humming Santa Lucia in a very presentable baritone.

The tune, Constance noted, was true enough, but the words were far astray.
"That's a very pretty song, Tony, but you don't appear to know it." "I no understand Italian, signorina.