The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-22

SHe prayed, AnaOeO Sne might diSo
see. Her eyes were bright and her
cheeks red beneath the shawl: in truth.
she had not wholly that rapt express
sion of heavenly contemplation which
the art of Giacomo had impaired to
his picture.
Safe and unperceived she stole from
the village up the hill, even to the sum-
by it now the shrine. whose marbles,
streaked in white and black, showed
cold and stately in the rays of the
risen moon. The windows of the ban
quoting hall were full of light, and
loud merry voices. mingled with
sounds of music, echoed from Within
Thither Jacinta looked wistfully. but
dared not go. She turned to the shrine;
there all was gloom save for the dim
light of candles, outshone the moon
lights radiance.
Softly she stole in and passed through
the open door. She seemed still adone,
save for the picture, and that she saw
but family, for the moonbeams did
not shine full ON it; may she found
them full ON her face as she stood just
beyond the arch ON the left side of the
altar. Half in fright at her solitude,
half i'm admiration of the shrine
beauty, she cast her eyes rounl 1t, and
suddenly became aware of the figure OF
a. man, who knelt before the altar, nus
face buried in his hands.
A tremor ram through her and she
leaned against the pillar OF the arcn,
for she knew that the man was COUNT
Amadeo and that she Wais alone with
him. 1T came into her head to fly, but
she could mot leave him, for she longed
to be near him, and his presence was
very sweet to her. But as she STOOD
there she heard him sigh deeply and
moan pitifully, for he was in great dis-
eress of soul and struggled sore with
himself, Calling himself a Wretcheo
simmer and all unworthy to have been
chosen to build this shrine to the honor
of st. Emilia.
Surely the heart of man, and his
heart, above all mems, was run on
wickedlness; he had come thithel' to
pray and to fall into holy meditation
ON the virtues and graces of his SAINT,
and with intent to vow his whole life
to her sacred and divine service. But
now, alas, his heart was possessed by
Satan, and he could not pray; and the
service of the saint was mot a saftlstac-
ton to his soul; but he was filled with
a turbulent and violent longing, ana
his SINFUL desire was that he mlsnI
find some living maiden who shonld
have the face and form OF ms Saa1lt
Emilia: her then he would serve all the
0avs of his life and fling behind him
the service of Emilia. And he be
Utafled this wicked mood, striving TO
conquer it and to lose himself IN une
glory of the saint And at last NE
cried SOFTLY:
Behold, 1 am in as great peril as IN
the robbers howell Sweet saint, grant
me another vision that may be
strengthened and confirmed in grace!
And he let his hands fall from pelore
his face, and raised his eyes 10 eiie
picture above the altar.
But, alas, the picture was lifeless,
dun. and cold, and Anladeo turned
AWAY from it. and gazed where the
moonlight fell. Full in the path OF the
pale light, white in its white radiance,
he saw a face that smiled on him, and
eyes that CLEANED brightly, and a
form in white that the light 1nade
whittier stood with hand outstretched
toward him. 1t seemed to him that
he saw again the vision that mad come
to him ait Mantivoglia and in the novel
by the river. And, kneeling stiM ON ms
knees. in an aWe-struck voice and with
fear he said:
.eWhat is thy wiIl?" And again he
hid his face. But no answer came. for
Jacinta, although she blushed rosy red,
fo11nd no words in which to respond to
Count Amadeo.
But soon, letting his hands fall, ne
looked again, in fear that the VlSloIl
would have passed; but, seeing II sun
there, he gazed on 1t, and 1t seemed 10
him ten thousand times more fair than
Giacomo's picture. Therefore he con-
tinued to gaze very lntenLiy on IT. anu .,la
the ewes of the vision fell toward the
floor. and its lids dropped, and, because
Amadeus gaze was very ardent pres
entfv. to his wonder the vision raised
its hands and hid its face.
"Show me thy face" cried Amadeo,
and now he rose to his feet.
There was silence for a moment, then
2. low. ashamed. merry laugh came, and
a. whisper that said. My lord, L dare
not
''Now surely this is a strange vision"
said Amadoe, and he took a step TO-
ward where it stood, but cautiously,
lest it should fly from him. And he
paused, asking himself what many
others had asked concerning him:
whether he were mad, and took for real
the Pigments of his own distempered
imagination. He dashed his hands
a,aross his eyes and looked again, but
still the vision was there, and again
fine merry, ashamed laugh struck
family on his ear. And he had never
vet heard nor read nor had any told
him. of a vision from heaven that
laughed and hid it's face like a maiden
who was coy and yet would not will
lingly escape.
Then he sprang suddenly across the
space between them, crying Who art
thou?" and came to a stand before her:
and she answered him from between
the fingers that were in front OF her
face:
Il am the girl from whom Giacomo
painted
But I saw you in the robbers
howell he cried.
rnurmured Jacinta.
And in the chapel at Mantivoglia.?"
q was waiting maid to the Lady
Beatrice Jacinta whispered.
Then silence fell again between them
for a while until Amadeo said in
voice that trenbled:
Il pray you take your hands from
your face that I may see whether it
be in very truth the face that came to
me in Mantivoglia and in the novel. L
do not understand how these things
can be: for how came you to Manti
voglia, and to the howell, and here?"
And he put out his hand and gently
grasped her hands and drew them
away from her face: but she was
greatly confused, and did not know
what she had best say to Count ANA
dec. And when at last she spoke her
voice was so low that Anadeo was con-
strained to draw nearer to her that
he might hear her words; but she in
tin1idflty shrank back, and, since he
pursued they passed together into the
shadow of the arch.