"I have no dowry...."
"No? Oh, Giulia!"
"Oh, Titta!"
"Then the last word has been said between us.—Good-by.... You towards Jerusalem, I towards Egypt, as Arete said to Argante."
"But what, can't we get married without a dowry?"
"No, we cannot; the dowry, Giulia, is as it were the wedding-dress; without it matrimony would seem naked, and you can imagine how unbecoming it would be to perform such a solemn rite ill-dressed. And if we turn our thoughts to ancient times, we know that the Muses remained spinsters at home because Apollo could not afford any other dowry than laurel leaves...."
"But you would not make me believe that you have saved no money; what have you done with it?"
"All gone in pious works, Giulia, in works of charity; and my friends owe me a fortune. How can I help it? When I get money I cannot refuse them, and thus I find myself short oftener than I would wish.... However, they will repay me some time, but for the present we cannot count upon them...."
"Well, I cannot exactly say that I am penniless; but it is only a trifle...."
"Every sprig helps to make a bush; with work and good will we can raise the cupola of the cathedral. Now tell me how much have you saved? A thous ...?"