Butstilltherewasthereliefofprettiersights:therewerebrood-rabbits,notlessinnocentandastonishedthanthoseofourownperiod;thereweredovesandsinging-birdstobeboughtaspresentsforthechildren;therewereevenkittensforsale,andhereandthereahandsomegattuccio,or‘Tom,’withthehighestcharacterformousing;and,betterthanall,therewereyoung,softly-roundedcheeksandbrighteyes,freshenedbythestartfromthefar-offcastelloatdaybreak,nottospeakofolderfaceswiththeunfadingcharmofhonestgoodwillinthem,suchasareneverquitewantinginscenesofhumanindustry.Andhighonapillarinthecentreoftheplace—avenerablepillar,fetchedfromthechurchofSanGiovanni—stoodDonatello’sstonestatueofPlenty,where,saysoldPucci,thegoodwivesofthemarketfreshenedtheirutensils,andtheirthroatsalso;notbecausetheywereunabletobuywine,butbecausetheywishedtosavethemoneyfortheirhusbands.Butonthisparticularmorningasuddenchangeseemedtohavecomeoverthefaceofthemarket.Thedeschi,orstalls,wereindeedpartlydressedwiththeirvariouscommodities,andalreadytherewerepurchasersassembled,onthealerttosecurethefinest,freshestvegetablesandthemostunexceptionablebutter.ButwhenBrattiandhiscompanionenteredthepiazza,itappearedthatsomecommonpreoccupationhadforthemomentdistractedtheattentionbothofbuyersandsellersfromtheirproperbusiness.Mostofthetradershadturnedtheirbacksontheirgoods,andhadjoinedtheknotsoftalkerswhowereconcentratingthemselvesatdifferentpointsinthepiazza.Avendorofoldclothes,intheactofhangingoutapairoflonghose,haddistractedlyhungthemroundhisneckinhiseagernesstojointhenearestgroup;anoratoricalcheesemonger,withapieceofcheeseinonehandandaknifeintheother,wasincautiouslymakingnotesofhisemphaticpausesonthatexcellentspecimenofmarzolino;andelderlymarket-women,withtheiregg-basketsinadangerouslyobliqueposition,contributedawailingfugueofinvocation.
