Evening journal., 1892-11-19


against fortune. destiny. fate and other
impersonal beings incapable of resenting
them a thousand fantastic plans were
created and then rejected. Carlo would
have liked 70 elope with Maria but his
father allowed him no money. and it
would have been difficult to put together
the nine lire and fifty centesimi for two
tickets for the journey to Naples; they
thought for a moment Of suicide, but
found that it would not solve the diff
Guilty. Then, in the long run, their love
became systematic. the imprecations
were always the same. and they could
not go to their beds without having
poured forth upon the faithful paper
the fullness Of their grief"
In the town nothing was talked Of but
their unshakable love and their torments;
they were the objects Of general inter-
est; if Neapolitan arrived. the towns
folk took him to see the ruins Of the
amphitheater, and related the case of
Carlo and Maria. Therefore the young
people, fiattered in their amour propre,
assumed the behavior fitting to the cir
cumstances-Maria was always pale,
with melancholy air, never smiling,
always talking to her girl friends about
her joyless days, refusing to amuse her
self, content to resemble in all respects
one Of Mastrianis heroines.
Carlo took lonely walks, was always
deeply depressed; at balls, he never
moved out Of a corner, content that they
murmured around him, Poor young
man; that unfortunate love affair sad
dens his lifew In society, at small fes-
tivities, in visits, with the unwarying
monotony of the province, the discourse
always returned upon the subject of the
two lovers. Carlo and Maria bore with
dignity the burden of their popularity.
Finally, after ! don't know how many
years-four or five, it seems to me-of
this continual struggle, of daily weep
ing. Of long, long love maintained alive
by dissensions, the aspect of things
changed. There was a worthy person
there still are such-who with many ef-
forts Of eloquence persuaded the parents
that by the lawsuits they were losing
property and much Of it, as witness the
two advocates who had grown rich at
the expense of their clients; that those
two young people were pining and would
20 into decline because of that thwart-
ed love; the houses were side by side
and the estates contiguous; Christ for
gave and they must forgive if they
wished to find forgiveness. He said so
much and so many other persons, moved
by the example, interposed that the
questions came to a compromise which
had as its first chapter the marriage of
Carlo and Maria.
Here, surely, every one will suppose
that the young people were greatly con-
soled, and win suppose truly-but my
obligation as a sincere story teller con-
strains me to say that in their first free
colloquy reigned a great embarrassment.
They were accustomed to see each other
at distance by stealth; TO speak from
first floor window down to the Street
in the darkness, Disgusting or smother
ing their voices; they found themselves
quite different. perhaps n little ridicu-
lous; they had no subjects Of conversa-
ton. they were often silent, fastening
in their thoughts the hour when they
should quit each other.
There We're no more imprecations and
tears to be mingled with the ink; they
no longer wrote to each other. Every
thing was free, smooth, easy for their af-
lection; they We're not obliged to think
Of subtleties by which to evade the vigi-
lance of Aeir elders; they took no more
pleasure in inurmuring a few words in
L
Gets for the future. They would be
married prosaically, without obstacles,
like so many other silly couples The
townsfolk no longer took thought Of
them; the wonder and the comments on
the marriage once over, Carlo and Maria
no longer awoke attention, were no
longer talked about; their behavior was
noted 10 more; they ceased to be point
ed out as an example of fidelity. Now
all eyes We're fixed on the eyes of the
pretor. who was accused of too great
partiality for the vice attorney-a seri-
Gus piece of business.
The two lovers felt themselves for
saken-a great GOODNESS arose between
them. Carlo found that the virtues Of
his tiancee. those virtues which shone in
her letters. were dimmed by the atmos-
phere of home. Maria frequently thought
that Carlo was rather commonplace in
his tastes, and to that end, with a stupid
marriage so tempestuous a love was un-
worthy reader of Mastriani. A few
lively remarks passed between them in
regard to illusions contradicted by the
reality" about 'mirages," "optical de-
usions" and similar pin pricks; a quar-
rel ensued, then two, then they became
a daily occurrence. One eveaing Maria
said with an irritated tone:
Carlo. let MS leave it off,"
Let us" he replied without hesita-
ton.
And the next day he set off on a jour
ney for the improvement of his mind;
Maria went to Naples, TO the house of, a
cousin. to fish for a heroic husband.
The families had new falling out: Ma
ria's father had an opening made for a
window which overlooked his neighbors
courtyard; the latter, in order to annoy
him, built a dove cote Of which the
doves ran about everywhere; immedi-
ately there was Il summons, a second, a
third, the lawsuits began again, and
this time, the advocates said, smiling,