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slowly that one after another of the few comari
who used to go and see her had got tired of her
and left her to her fate. Her only friend was a
mongrel dog, who, an exception to the rule I have
just mentioned, never left his place at the foot of
her bed. It was besides the only place to lie on,
except on the damp earthen floor of the wretched
hole the poor woman lived and died in. One day,
as I happened to pass by, I found Don Salvatore
there, the only one of the twelve priests of our
little village who took the slightest interest in the
poor and the sick. Don Salvatore asked me if I
did not think the time had come to bring her the
Last Sacraments. The woman looked about as
usual, her pulse was not worse, she even told us
she had felt a little better these last days—la
miglioria della morte, said Don Salvatore. I
had often marvelled at the amazing tenacity
with which she clung to life and I told the priest
she might quite well last for another week or two.
So we agreed to wait with the Last Sacraments.
Just as we were leaving the room the dog jumped
down from the bed with a howl of distress and
crouched in the corner of the room whining
pitifully. I could see no change in the woman’s
looks, but noticed with surprise that her pulse
was now almost imperceptible. She made a
desperate effort to say something, but I could not
understand at first what she meant. She looked
at me with wide-open eyes and raised her
emaciated arm several times pointing to the dog. This
time I understood and I believe she also
understood me when I bent over her and said I would
take care of the dog. She nodded contentedly,
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