The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-01-03
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words, and creeping nearer to my chair
she clutched my hand in both Of hers
and strove to look into my eyes to read
my decision there.
Stephano came nearer. This was too
much. He took her by the wrists rough
~ and flung them from him as though
their touch had been defilement.
sect back to your place. woman!"
he said sternly.
The woman rose without murmur
and walked back to the side Of her man
with downcast face.
'Now, Leo Perrone, what do You
say to this?'' asked of the man, whose
strong, piercing eyes dwelt steadily
upon my face.
"Excellency," he said, Maria, my
wife. loves meas you have seen. She
has done this for love-forsworn her.
self, confessed the thing which she
never did, taken the punishment which
was mine-all because she knew that
for such crime the judge would hang
a man, but only imprison woman.
Maria Perrone, my wife. did this thing
for my sake, and /, crawling rat that
/ was. permitted it. But all the while
God had me in his grip, and tonight in
the duomo he sent me message that
only in making an open confession lay
any hope for my sinful soul. So now
accuse myself. will tell the whole
truth here and now. 1t was night
when / had been far away. returned
to my house eager to meet my wife, to
clasp the little Margherita, the sweetest
and the most innocent lass in all the
quarter of the Hedgehog. AS I came up
the stair heard angry voices. then
scream Of pain and fear from my wife,
Maria. At two bounds was at the
door; another, and was within. There
stood Giovanni Lupo in the act Of offer
ing insult to my wife. Then forthwith
have come to you, excellency, seeing
your wife thus and your little daughter
weeping on the floor. My wife's market
ing knife lay at hand on the board
where she had been preparing the sup
per stuff lifted it and-well, that
wolf will never insult wife or children
any more forever. l sent him hurting
to his own black inferno!''
Leo Perrone ceased and erected his
head proudly, SO that his tangled locks
stood out about his head like stone
pine growing on mountain top above
the sea.
Again the woman would have flung
herself at my feet, but Stephano had
suffered enough. He took her by the
arm and led her into the middle of the
room at distance both from the table
where stood her husband and from my
chair. He gave her arm little shake,
as if to say. "Tell lie or tell truth, but
tell it where you stand and not else
where. %
Then Maria Perrone fell on her kneea
on the polished wood of the floor
"Believe him not" she cried yet
more earnestly. "It is but his mind
which has given way. He has often had
such seizures. / have seen them come
upon him q hundred times. Listen.
great general, swear it by my souls
salvation, upon the blessed cross, upon
the relics of the saints. ], alone,
struck the blow, and killed Giovanni
Lupo." AS she spoke she lifted up a
cross in which was fragment of iron
nail and made the cath which to an
Apulean seals eternal destruction if the
oath be false or broken.
looked from one to the other. Leo
Perrone stood with his strong, stern
] look fixed upon me- The woman clasped
her hands before her and looked at me
dry eyed. For moment was at my
wits end
Stephano nudged me gently.
"The child, the little Margherita, -
he whispered from behind. "She fol-
lowed her father when he was taken.
She is below at this moment. Shall
bring her up?''
nodded to him. Presently between
the file Of dragons standing at atten.
ton there came, walking with quick,
uncertain steps, little maid, Marghe
rita, pale of face, dark of locks ali
a-tangle about her brow. She looked
very lovely. She dashed her hair away
with her hand as stephano placed hel
between her father at the tablets enc
and her mother still kneeling on thu
oaken floor.
"Margherita, said gently, "tel
all you know OF the killing of Giovanni
Lupo. You were there, your father tell
u.s.
The little maid looked from one tt