Tales from Many Sources

se garden trees at sunset cast their shadow over the cottage and its terrace on to the steep white road. But any of the country people could tell him that this, too, is Casa Signorile, s

trong and sturdy magnolia-tree, and these, with their profusion of red and white sweetness, made amends for the dearth of garden flowers. At either end of the terrace flourished a thicket of gum-cistus, syringa, stephanotis, and geranium bushes, and the wall itself, dropping sheer down to the road, was bordered w

sharp. The air trembled round the bright green cypresses behind the house. The roof steamed. All the windows were shut, all the jalousies shut, yet it was so

e carriage, and see the driver leading the tired, thin, cab-horse, his bones starting under the shaggy hide. Inside the carriage reclined a handsom

n, "let me beg you again to

argaret; I'm no

ed you; that is

hot!" cri

I object to y

me, just think how hot i

ating glance at the poo

suffer from malaria, neither has he kept his aunt in F

r a few minutes, "I'll get in, A

g people did not

, and you shall answer all my q

drove on in silence past the orchards, past the olive-yards, yellow underneath with ripening corn; past the sudden wide views of the m

ks down there!"

" echoed Miss Hame

auntie." Then, a little later. "Won't you tell me somethin

mollified by Go

them at Mrs. Gorthrup's." But this was

ast six weeks, and I know nothing about them, not what age they are, nor if they

beginning at the end. "One of them is E

the o

gnora Petrucci; she us

m glad she's handsome, and that they spe

ot connected; t

ey always li

ied," and Miss Hamelyn nam

, quite excited; "we

of the highest respectability. Miss

, "how interesting! Oh, auntie,

They only take you, Goneril, till you are strong enough to travel,

member,

ving under the terrace in

shall leave you outside; you can

y we

ed the steep little flight of steps that

ingular figure w

Madame Petrucci,"

ken slimness of her arms, came eagerly forward. She was still rather pretty, with small refined features, larg

ow glad I am to see you. And have you

adjectives, that gave to our severer generation an impression of insincerity. Yet i

said Miss Hamelyn.

hairs and sofa, and large accountant's desk with ledgers; the large Pleyel grand piano, a bookcase, in which all the books were rare copies or priceless MSS. of old-fashioned operas; hanging against the wall an inlaid guitar and some faded laurel crowns; moreover, a fine engraving of a composer, twenty years ago the m

going to the door. "Brigida! our c

strong hearty voice from

your presence, but we have only one little servant, and during this suffocating weather I find that

urself," said Miss Hamelyn. "I hope you

Charming! I suppose it is in y

tle, for her niece's name

n woman," said a deep voice at the d

, with fine dark eyes, and, even in a Florentine summer, wi

our niece?" she said, t

is in th

erstands that she'll

y simple girl," s

that's call

of the strangeness of the name, but-but in fact my brother was

. "The parson must have been

d have no baptism saving with that name, whic

rescue. "Goneril: it dies on one's lips like music! And if you do n

make her happy,"

shall!" cried

made happy," asse

d Miss Prunty; "for there's n

air! the view! the historic association! and, more than

Miss Hamelyn,

e capital; but he rents the villa behind our house-the Medici Villa; and when he is tired of Rom

elyn, greatly relieved; for she knew

nearly thirty years. He used to largely frequent

ubt those days seemed near and dear to her; sh

ping up. "And Gon'ril (since I'll have to call

olive-yard, where there was a lean-to shed for tools, they found her sitting on

nd. "He was asleep," she said. "F

e ladies were strangers, she mad

find me a trouble,

id Madame Petrucci, t

of hair, strong, regular, features, and flexile scarlet mouth, laughing upw

very happy,"

at, my dear," s

Madame Petrucci, "we will leave her to the rustic societ

r business!" sai