As the summer came on, and whole streets-full of his patrons left
the city, Giovanni became less regular in his hours of leavings or
returning home; often remaining in his room several hours of the
day, smoking, sleeping, or training Pantalon in new accomplishments.
So sure as she knew him to be at home, Cherry gave her foster-mother
no peace until she had consented to allow her to visit him; and Mrs.
Ginniss said to herself, "Sure, and it's no harm the little crather
can git uv man nor monkey nor music; an' what's the good uv crossin'
her?"
So it finally came about that Cherry spent many more hours in the
company of Giovanni, Pantalon, and the organ, than Teddy either
knew, or would have liked, had his mother thought fit to tell him.
At first, the conversation between the new friends was carried on in
the imperfect English used by both; but, very soon, Giovanni,
noticing the facility with which the child adopted an occasional
word of Italian, set himself to teach her the language, and
succeeded beyond his expectations. Indeed it seemed to him that the
soft and liquid accents of the beloved tongue had never sounded to
him so sweet beneath Italian skies as now, when they fell from the
rosy lips and pure tones of the charming child whom he, with all who
approached her, was learning to love with the best love of his
nature.
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