Year: 1863

1


for charity, her long black veil eoncealing
| face that had once adorned a court, and ha


received the homage. of as many sonuets a
Petrarch has written on Laura.
| But fortune at length relented; legacy from


a distant relation had come to her relief, ant
/ she was now the mistress of a small inn at th,
foot of the Apprentices, where she entertained


as well as she could, and where those only


stopped who were contented with little
The house was still standing when in my
youth passed that way, though the sign ofthf
White Cross-the Gross of the Hospitsllers =


was no longer to be seen over the door, sign


which she had taken, if we may believe the


tradition there, in honor of maternal uncle
a grand master of that order, whose achieve
ments in Palestine she would sometimes relate


A mountain stream ran through the garden;
and at no great distance, where the road turn
ed on its way to Bologna, stood little chapel,
in which lamp was always burning before a
picture of the Virginia picture of great an
tiqaity, the work of some Greek artist.


Here she was dwelling, respected by all who
knew her, when an event took place which
threw her into the deepest afliction. 1t was





travellers arrived, and seating themselves on
a bench under her vine-trellis, were supplied
with fIagon of Aleatico by lovely girl, her
only child, the image Of her former SELF The
eldest spoke like Venetian, and his beard
was short and pointed after the fashion Of We
nice. In his demeanor he affected great cour-
tesy, but his look INSPIRED little confidence;
for when he smiled, which he did continually,
it was with his lips only, not with his eyes;
and they were always turned from yours. His
companions were bluff and frank in their man
ner. and on their tongues were many a soldiers
oath. In their hats they wore medal, such
as in that age was often distributed in war;
and they were evidently subalterns in one of
those free bands which were always ready to
serve in any quarrel, if service ii could be
called where a battle was little more than
mOckery; and the slain, as on an opera stage
were up and fighting Tomorrow. Overcome
with the heat, they threw aside their cIoaks,
and with their gloves tucked under their BELTS
continued for some time in earnest conversa-
tion.


At length they arose to go, and the Vene
tian thus addressed the hostess:


Excellent lady, may we leave under your
roof for day or two, this bag of gold?"


"YOu'may," she replied, gayly. "But remem-
Der, we fasten only with latch. Bars and
bolts We have none in our village; and if we
had, where would be your security"


"In your word, lady"


"And what if died tonight, where would
it be then?" said she laughingly. "The mon
ey would go to the church, for none could
claim it."


perhaps you viii favor us with an acknowl-
edgment?"


"If you will write it,


An acknowledgment was written according
Iy, and she signed it before Master Bartolo,
the village physician, who had just called by
chance to learn the news of the day; the gold
to be delivered when applied for, but to be
delivered-these were the words-not to one,
nor to two, but to the three-words wisely in
troduced by those to whom it belonged, know
ing what they knew of each other. The gold
they had just released from miser's chest in
Perugia, aud they were on a scent that prom
ised more


They and their shadows were no sooner de-
parted, than the Venetian returned, saying
"Give me leave to set my seal on the bag as
the others have done" and she placed it on
table before him. But in that moment she
was called away to receive a cavalier who had
just dismounted from his horse; and when she
came back it was gone. The temptation had
proved irresistible, and the man and the mon
ey had vanished together.


"Wretched woman that ami" she cried, as
in an agony of grief she fell on her daughters
neck, "what will become of us? Are we again
to be cast out into the wide world? Unhap-
py child. would that thou hadst never been
boruI" And all day long she lamented; but
her tears availed her little. The others were
not slow in returning to claim their due; and
there were no tidings of the thief; he had fed
far away with his plunder. A process against
her was instantly begun in Bologna; and what
defense could she make? how release herself
from the obligation of the bond? Wilfully, or
in negligence, she had parted with it to one,
when she should have kept it for all; and inev
liable ruin awaited her.


"Go, Gianetta," said she to her daughter,
"take this vail which your mother has worn
and wept under so often, and implore the coun-
selor Calderino to plead for US on the day OF
trial. He is generous, and will listen to the
unfortunate. But if he will not, go from door
to door; MoHaldi cannot refuse US. Make
haste my child; but remember the chapel as
you pass by it. Nothing prospers without a
prayer"


Alas she went, but in vain. These were
retained against them; those demanded more
than they had to give; and all bade them de-
L. L., A.
and the cause to come on tomorrow!


Now, Gianetta had lover, and he was a
student of the lava young man of great
promise, Larenzo Martelli He had studied
long and diligently under that learned lawyer,
Giovanni Andreas, who, though little of stat
ure, was great in renowA, and by his cotempo-
raries was called the arch doctor, the rabbi ot
DOCTORS the light of the world. Under him
he had studied sitting on the same bench with
Petrarch; and also under his daughter, Novel
la, who would often lecture to the scholars
when her father was otherwise engaged, placing
herself behind a small curtain, lest her beauty
should diver: their thoughts; precaution, in
this instance, at least, unnecessary, Lorenzo
having lost his heart to another


To him she flies in necessity; but Of what as
sistance can he be? He has just taken his
place at the bar, but he has never spoken; and
how stand up alone, unpracticed and unpre-
pared as he is, against an array that would a
larm the most experienced?


"Were 1 as mighty as am weak said he,
"my fears for you would make me as nothing
But l will be there, Gianetta; and may the
friend of the friendless give me strength in that
hour! Even now my heart fails me; but, come
what will, while I have loaf to share, you and
your mother shall never want. 1 will beg
through the world for you"


The day arrives, and the court assemblies