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Agnes immediately occupied herself in reducing to order the

little furniture that was left her, and in repairing the damage

done to her doors and windows; but she did not forget to count

over in secret her crowns, thanking God in her heart, and her

generous benefactor, that in the general overthrow of order and

safety she at least had fallen on her feet.

Don Abbondio and Perpetua entered their house without being

obliged to have recourse to keys. In addition to the miserable

destruction of all their furniture, whose various fragments

impeded their entrance, the most horrible odours for a time drove

them back; and when these obstacles were at last surmounted, and

the rooms were entered, they found indignity added to mischief.

Frightful and grotesque figures of priests, with their square

caps and bands, were drawn with pieces of coal upon the walls in

all sorts of ridiculous attitudes.