"Take these"—and the marchesa puts her hand into her pocket and draws out some notes—"take these, these are better than thanks."
Adamo drew back much affronted. "Padrona, I don't want money."
"Yes, yes, take them—for Pipa and the boys"—and she thrusts the notes into his big red hands.
"After all," thought Adamo to himself, "if the padrona is going to die, I may as well have these notes as another."
"I would save your life any day, padrona," Adamo says aloud. "It is a pleasure."
"Would you?" the marchesa fell into a muse.
Again the dogs howled. Adamo makes a motion to go to them.
"Were you going to feed the dogs when I called to you?" she asks.
"Padrona, yes. I was going to feed them."
"Are they very hungry?"