She ran back. Tony, with the dog in his arms, crouched once more under the window. Through it he saw Anna come into the room. Her father called her to him.
"Come," he said. "One more chapter and then to bed."
Anna's face fell. What should she do? She had promised to bring Tony a blanket. Yet she could not say so. She must stay here until her father finished reading.
"Now," he began, "we shall visit Italy's largest city, Milan. The pride of Milan is her beautiful cathedral. It is built of white marble brought from the quarries by canal. The canal was built especially for that purpose.
"With its two thousand slender spires, this cathedral is like fairy lace. Stories are told upon the many beautiful windows of stained glass.
"In the long ago, Milan was the fashion center of the world. Just as, today, every lady wants a Paris gown, so, at that time, they wanted Milan hats. They spoke of them as 'Milaners.' Can you see how the word 'milliner' was born?
"From the hat to the shoe is a long way. The whole of Italy is shaped like a boot. Milan is far up on the leg. Down at the tip of the toe is the island of Sicily.
| VESUVIUS SEEN FROM POMPEII |
"Sicily, originally settled by the Greeks, has often been called the 'football of Italy.' And it has truly been kicked about, for many different nations have ruled it.