The temptation was too strong for a certain person to resist. A cavernous voice resounded through the empty church:
"Amen."
Don Rocco remained breathless, with his hands in the air.
"Hurry up," said the servant, returning. "Do you not remember that you must leave out your cloak and your clothes?"
Poor Don Rocco was not well found in clothes, for he carried on his back omnia bona sua, and there was sewing to be done and spots to be taken out, according to Lucia, before the journey of the next morning. Don Rocco descended from the altar without answering and went all through the church, lowering the lamp between all the benches and confessionals.
"What is it; what are you looking for?" asked the servant, anxiously coming along behind him. For a while Don Rocco did not answer.
"I said a few words of prayer," he said finally, "and I heard some one answer 'Amen.'"
"You fancied so." replied Lucia. "It must have been a trick of the imagination."
"No, no," said Don Rocco. "I really heard the 'Amen.' It seemed to be a voice from under the earth. A great big voice. It did not seem that of a man, but rather of a bull."
"It may have been the bishop," suggested the woman. "Isn't there a bishop buried here? Such things have been heard of."