Litchfield enquirer., 1880-11-11

hiuAnES 1nu "ucIC Nc u iTcttIuS ulLuStil lutu
fever from want of action and suitable So
ciety. Ask the landlord of the inn there, with
this gesture, to give you cup of rosso vino
and you viii be able to communicate with my
friend. Do pay him visit if you conven,
iently can. None of us can venture to 90
near him at present; and as Stefani has been
several years in London. he probably knows
some ofgput acquaintance there" ri,
Benton had agreed to meet nle at Lucca,
and on arriving there found him encumber-
ed with an elderly aunt and a young lady
cousin. The latter was almost beautiful, and
tall, with rosy English complexion. and full
of high spirits. | found them admiring the
facade of the exquisite Lombardo- Gothic
cathedral, and was struck by the contrast be-
tween his dark, firm. somewhat gloomy face,
and the open, glowiag countenance of the
young girl, whose elastic form and attitude
betrayed a conciousness of youthful buoyant
life, andiwhOse hazel eyes showed every now
and then little Impotence, not unmixed
with scorn. - p q
: 1t was after we had established ourselves at
the Bagni di Lucca, and when riding among
the cheslnut-covered hills. that Miss Osborne's
beauty and high spirits were most striking,
How fascinating she appeared after smart
ride, with the rosy west lighting up her glow
ing face, the freshness and bloom of youth on
every hneament, with dancing spirits and a
happy heart in every movement of her agile
figure No wonder that Benton, who evident
ly loved her, while it was difficult to know
the nature of her feelings for him, would
sometimes, on these occasions. clench his
hands conyulsively, while gloomy shadow
rose in his eyes, as he left us on some pretext
or another, for a solitary gallop. This
usually brought slight touch of petulance
into Miss Osborne's manner, and gave greater
point to her shafts of raillery.
Few sensible visitors to the Bagni di Lueca
who can endure the rough ride of several
hours, fail to visit the Prato Fiorito, round
grassy meuntain-summit, covered with flow,
ers at certain seasons of the year, and COM
handing magnificent views of the wild sur
rounding Apprentices of Modena and Lucca
A brilliant morning in the end of August saw
us three, mounted on the sure-footed horses
of the country, and attended by guide, as
cending from the qcacias and fruit-trees round
the Bagni Caldi into the vast chestnut forests
which cover the higher hills. A delicate fra
GRANGE rose from the pines and heaths as they
were kissed by the morning sun; but their
coiors were nor more beautiful than the car
nation of Florence Osborne's cheek. At first
the forest was interspersed with vineyards
and small white villages, the houses of which
had verandas made Of trellised vines but Of
ten steep, narrow, and rugged paths took as
up into higher region, where our way led
along a mountain-side through a forest of
magnificent old trees, Innumerable lizards
were running along the branches of the trees,
and swarms of flies gathered upon our steeds.
them into very restless state. Our
fair companions horse was especially irritable
that the guide waved a
branch constantly over its head and it finally
boiled, so as to throw US int great dread for
her safety. Miss Osborne was an admirable
rider, and remained perfectly collected; but
huge old branches hung in some places SO
low over the path that she ran the greatest risk
of being dashed by her horse against them.
Some way on, the old white branch of a
large tree crossed the path, and so low, for
the most part, that it was certain to strike off
any rider who might try to pass beneath; and
at the rate Miss Osborne was going the blow
would probably have caused death. She saw
the danger, but instead of throwing herself off
which also would have been perilous, from
the precipituous fall of the bank on the right,
not to speak of the usual danger of doing 80,
she strained to the utmost on the left rein,
without, however, making any impression on
the excited and unruly beast, which still held
on, with its head lowered. as if wanting only
to keep that safe, and indifferent to the fate of
its rider. Bentons self-control and collected
spirit suited him better for such an emergency
than for graceful trifiing. Luckily the path
was soft and covered with grass, and his steed
was the best of the three, so he was enabled
10 reach his Cousins side without exciting the
animal she rode to- strain itself any more than
it was doing at any rate. Pressing hrs horse
close to hers, and winding his arm round her
waist, he drew her from her saddle, while she
aided the movement by quick spring. and,
pulling madly to- the left they passed the tree
in safety. With shudder he told me that,
80 low was the branch at the place where her
horse dashed underneath, the pommel of the
saddle was bruised. ~ -vs.4..5 .sz...g
When Iovertook them his interesting burden
had just descended with color heightened by
The exercise, and perhaps also by the novelty
Of the situation. Benton himself looked very
pale and when his cousin had recovered a
little she slid to him, with light in her eyes
which contradicted the jocular tone, Where
did you learn such skill on horseback, Hugh?
So good rider ought to sit little more grace
tally Besides, you look as if you had never
seen bolt in your life before. Well, | must
confess was getting rather confused, and did
not know what to do. i am affoid, my dear
cousin, you have almost saved my life. What
. dreadful thing it would have been to have
dashed against that branch! And / am sure
it would have happened but for your presence
Of mind, because only thought of pulling my
pony round, and it is not likely could have
done so. Indeed my wrist feels quite strain
ed. Thank you again most gratefully; but
how am to get on to the Prato Fiorito, or
back to the Baths p +is''' l-'.'i-'- 'r',-'
ssYou have only to return to the custom of
our great grapdn,others" said joking. to
prevent awkwardness, for we were all more
affected by the, incident than we cared to ac-
knowledge, or could express at that moment.
stOne of. mine, / know rode on piliOn be-
hind her husband on her wedding-d day and I
can bring many sound authorities to show that
there is nothing compromising to the dignity
Of young lady in. riding vis-aeyisr even with
. stranger when nothing better can be done.
Not to go back so far as"
'sAllez doncl" broke ID my fair acquaint-
ance, smiling.a :f one OF you knights would
gallop after my vanished steed. perhaps it
might be conjured back again"
Having accomplished thisfta removed
Miss Osborne's saddle to my own horse. plac-
ing her on the quiet one which i had hitherto
ridden; and we proceeded without further &C
cident on our way to the summit OF the range
of mountains, which gave picturesque views
of richly wooded valleys sunk precipitously to
q great depth, and threaded with mountain
streams at that time very slender. Then a long,
bleak, barren stony track, broken by streams,
or rather pools, and little patches of corn,
brought us . rocky ledge, on which we
moved, without speaking, above deep pteci-
pice; proceeding from thence along a rude
mule-track to the foot of the smooth grassy
Prato Horito. where we tethered, our heated
horses.
A sudden exclamation frem our guide caus-
ed us to look in the direction of Modena,
where q singular phenomenon presented itself.
At first il appeared as long ridge of the
mountains was slowly rising up into the sky,
and then as if huge wall of black rock was
rising behind the, mountains and about to
oyerwhelm the whole country in some terrible
convnlsion of nature. This was the Com
fiencement of the rains of Autumn coming
suddenly after the long drought and crying,
.'AcQua, acqua ~ our guide hurried us down
from the summit of the mountain. That de-
scent would have been rather puzzling had we
set about tsin q leisureiY manner; but as. it
was, we managed to tumble and slide down
- 20