St. Landry democrat., 1893-10-07

them. Ginevra was the last to pass gu
and Andrino, who had stationed himse
near the door, half obstructing the oper
ing, fixed his eyes long and earnestl
on her, as she stood opposite him for
moment. -"Felice notte, Ginevra," wa
all he said, but she crimsoned all Owe
and looked down for second or two i
Understandable confusion. Then, as
involuntariy, under the influence Q
some irresistible compulsion,. her eye
were slowly raised until they met hi
with an instantaneous flash of answering
passion in their humid light. She trie,
to say the commonplace good night
| " Felicissima n0tte, Scr 1udrino," bu
the words died away in an inarticulat
murmur, and with a movement Xix,
fright she brushed hastily past him ant
ran out into the darkness.
I had been the sole witness of Thu
little unspoken drama, which l knew
according to Italian feeling on sucl
matters, had the force of a mutual
plighting of troth and confession of at
tachment, from the understanding it es
tablished between the parties. Such 6
mute pledge would be held no less bind
ing than distinct verbal promise, and
Andrino, though he might defer to a
more convenient season the formal de-
mand of Ginevra's hand from her
parents, was as much pledged in his own
eyes to prosecute the courtship thus be-
gun, as if he had entered into a solemn
act of betrothal; but, I foresaw many
difficulties in the path of the young
couple before their VOWS could take
effect, for I knew that Sora Nina was as
proud and ambitious as queen-mother
and regarded the little contadinn much
as King Cophetua's parents might have
done the beggar maid.
I heard her call after Ginevra on the
stairs to be ready to 60 with Maddalena
to the 5-o'clock mass at Tereglio in the
morning, that she might be back to as
s'st her with the homework during the
day. Knowing what | knew, |
was not at all surprised that An
drlno should select the same hour for his
devotions; and as I came down in the
looking out of a certain stair.
case window that commanded the road
to Tereglio, had no difficulty in identi-
flying the couple who were walking along
it with steps that Jagged, so as to pro-
tract the way as much as possible. Mad
dalena had been in some time, and when
poor little Ginevra arrived, all flushed
and dewy with happiness, Nina turned
On her like q viper. ''My faith !" she
cried ironically, II hope YOU have not
hurried yourself. How dare YOU trine
with me in this way, low peasant wench
hat you are! will teach you your place
mother time Her pale eyes glittcred
and she looked MS if she
Gould have gladly killed her on the
pot.
have said that the three girls slept
n the attlcs, on roomy, rambling floor,
lext the roof, generally used only for
forage and lumber. In one large room.
m cloth spread Oh the floor. various
rults and vegetables were spread to drv |
+ ripen; there were sorb-apples, 50
to the eye when first gathered
their painted beauty of carmine and
old, but SO bitter to the taste unit!
oftened to pulpy sweetness in semi
ecay; beside punches of shriveled
rapes lay coral-red tomatoes wrinkling
they dried; pale green gourds were
following to ripper tinge. purple aubcr-
ines glowing like dark red wine, and
lelon-seeds piled in little heaps here
nd there. On the walls were hung all
tanner of herbs-thyme and marioram,
Ncet BASIL sage, tansy and NORWOOD
hich. with punches of withered camo-
ile flowers, sprigs of lavender and po-
es OF centaury, gentian and other
ountain simples. filled the air with
INT aromatic odor of decay. Against
lie further wall of this herbarium stood
splendid heirloom, that might have sold
Nardour street for thousands of ,,
ancs--one Of those massive chests of
rved oak in which the marriage outft
the bride is generally stored. and !
hich have remained in some of the good ,,
d peasant families for generations.
his was an admirable specimen of Rem =
'sance workmanship, and I had often E
lelt to admire the high relief of the
tcchanalian procession with which :
was adorned, like an antique sarcoph- +
us. 1t was used, | knew, for storing ;
spare house-linen and other supplies l.
t in actual use, but had never seen it -
ened; and, indeed, from the position y
which it stood az inst the wall, it :,
'uld have been impossible to lift the :,
without first pushing it little aside.
UT this lumberroom was the little r,
'set now Temporarily occupied by .
neVra, while the other two girls slept 7
another large attic across the passage. 81
ese rooms opened on loggia, or :,
vered gallery with open arches, over y,
'king the tagged court or thrashing q
'or, and now festooned with bundles .,
chestnut leaves hung up to dry. An ~ ~
:ernal staircase leading from this -
'sia to the one below, and thence to e.:
ground, was the only mode of access ~
the attic floor SO that Sora Nina. >,
king the little wooden gate at the -
ID of this staircase. and taking the VI
' in her pocket, believed she had her ~ ~
soner firmly secured against all com p'
nication with the lower world till ''
return.
10 Sunday passed, and Monday morn it.
brought its usual routine of work. ar
e chestnut gathelers were off to the tn
DDS at break of day, but Sora Nina
id at home, saying that she had house hi
d matters to look after | was on the IN
'er toggia, setting some canvases to pl
, when she came up with a quick tn
}, holding something under her apron, on
without seeing me passed into the Vi
Der attic and thence to Ginevras W.
C room. She remained some min I'm
}, and on coming out this time with tn
hands free) gave a start of surprise tn
eelng me. Scusi, Siguor Pittore," OBJ
$ was my usual title in the household,
'pt from Vincenzo, who, with liza