He jumped out of bed, threw open the window and looked down. The shout came from a peasant holding under his arm a basket filled with eggs. The yell rang out once more. In the house opposite, a woman leant over a balcony ringed with flowers and lowered down a basket attached to a length of rope. The peasant picked out the cash inside, replaced it with four eggs and continued on his way. The judge was about to close the window again when a doleful female howl sounded along the street. He turned back to see an aged woman dressed in rags selling vegetables. What made them wail in that way when advertising their wares? He noticed that along the street they were erecting stalls for the market. He went back to bed for a little before getting up to wash and dress. At seven-thirty, he heard a knock at the door. He went over to open it. “At your service. My name’s Pippina.” She was stout, smiling and pleasant, and inspired trust. The judge asked how much she would expect on a monthly basis for her work, and received in reply an incredibly low figure.
