Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2

"The world is come to an end.

k himself to his snuffbox. It was of worn black ebony, adorned in the middle of the lid with a small view of Saint Peter's and the colonnades in mosaic, with a very blue sky. From long use, each tiny fragment of the mosaic was surrounded by a minute black line, which indeed len

the operations of pinching, stuffing, snuffing,

n their unwinking gaze. He looked dangerous just then, bu

hould know why," answered the

, hairy on the backs of the fingers, between the knuckles. His wife, Sora Nanna, said that he had a fist like a paving-stone. He also looked as though he might have the constitution of a mule. He was at that time about

oad between Subiaco and Rome, Gigetto, already mentioned, was supposed to represent him. It was understood that Gigetto was to marry Annetta-if he could be prevailed upon to do so, for he was the younger son of a peasant family which held its head even higher than Stefanone, and the young man as well as his people looked upon Annetta's wild ways with disap

ight sleeves of his coat, in the old fashion. He also wore amazingly tight black trousers, strapped closely over his well-blacked boots. To tell the truth, these nether garments, though of great natural resistance, had lived so long at a high tension, so to say, that they were no longer equally tight at all points, and there were, undoubtedly, ce

d the operation of taking snuff,

" he observed, by way of a general re

k you. I wish to die, if I forget it. You tell me that this daughter of mine is making love with the Englishman. And then you say that you do not

die, too!" exclaimed Sor Tommas

yet they can sting. And after a thousand years, they still sting. You-what can you understand? Are you perhaps a father? You have not even a wife. Oh, blessed be God! You

nsult. "You-to me-ignorant! Oh, beautiful, most beautiful, this! From a peasant to a

ld I do with your diplomas! I ask you, what do you know? Do you know at all what a daughter is? Blood of my bl

me 'ignorant' in my face

, his clenched hand on the table. "I say it twice, three

ay every one can hear you

grave-diggers. And then-ignorant! O

ough!" roared the doctor, across

r soul! If I get hold

sandals and thongs. He is generally a shepherd, and is held in contempt by the more respe

s pushed up within a few inches of his chest, so that his movements were considerably hampered as he stretched out his hands rather wildly towards his adversary. T

a quiet, dry voice spoke with a strong foreign accent. It was Angus Dalrymple,

, as he stood still in the doorway. "You cannot hit a man a

l back into his seat. The doctor's anxious and excited e

"A little discussion-a mere jest. Our f

uld have explained you away altogether

wn close to his host, as a precautionary measure in case the play should be resumed. Stefanone would have had a bad chance of being d

enough, though his eyes were bloodshot and

rning wicks, which she placed upon the table. Dalrymple looked up at her, and seeing her expression of inquiry, slowly nodded. With a laugh which drew her long red-brown lips

in. "And then-it is always the same. Half a '

the glass and as a libation, and then offered to fill the glasses of each of the two men, who smiled, shook their heads, and covered their tumblers with their right hands. At last Dalrymple helped himself, nodded politely to his companions, and slowly emptied

w?" asked Annett

alrymple. "What is ther

with respect to your face-the pig we called the Grape-eater last year? Speaking with respect, he was a good pig. It is one of his hams that we have cut. There is also salad, and fresh bread, which you like. And wine, I will not speak of it. Eh, h

o much," sai

e not pennies. The more one

as she turned lightly with a toss of

doctor, with a conciliatory

Tommaso," said Dalrymple, gravely.

udden interest, and put on

She is not young! What has sh

ronunciation of Angus. Nevertheless, with northern persistency, Dalrymple corrected him for the hundredth time. The doctor's first attempt ha

n she was overheated. It has immediately settled on her lungs, and you may be sent for at any moment. I passe

d they have? And then pray, pray, sing, sing! It needs a chest! Poor lungs! I will go to my home and get ready-blisters-mustard-a lancet-they will not allow a barber in the convent to bleed them. Well-I make myself the barber! What a life, what a life! If you

d his broad catskin hat upon his head, and took his

" said Stefanone, under his bre

alrymple, who had

e wick of the lamp with the bent brass wire which, with the snuf

cotchman. "Well-the abbess is ver

! So that it need

e slowly sipped the remains

e saints of them-and good night! There would be one misery less. Do you know what they do? They make wine. Good! But they

y peasant with some amusement

a foreigner and a Protestant, can you not say

does the business for the convent? They cannot do it themselves, I suppose.

ou and I do. But Gigetto's father, Sor Agostino, is their steward, if that is what you wish to know. And his father was before him, and Gigetto w

count, I do not see but that you will either have to bear it

now. And the best is only five baiocchi the foglietta, and the cheapest is two and a half. Good bye prof

rved Dalrymple, rising. "I am goi

Signore," answered

oor, bringing in plates and napkins, and knives an

id with a laugh. "The beefs

table, turning the glass wine measure upside down over his tumbler, to let the last drops run out. He watched them

h the Englishman," he said slowly,

nishment, and she tossed a knife and fork angr

father, without raising his eyes. "Do

, it must be true! Now, who has told you that the Englishman

e more, and I would have torn his tongue out. Just the

s a dull and angry light in her eyes. Her long lips were still parte

almost in a whisper, and ther

Stefanone. "You make eyes at him. You wait for him an

servant to wait on him. You are rich. What do I care for the Englishman? Perhaps it is a

er father knew what the tone meant

suddenly aware of a danger

and arranging the knives and forks symme

Englishman came in," said Stefanone, reflectively. "But

e still spoke in a low voice, as

Stefanone, "if I see you mak

ly lest he should shake the table and upset the lamp or the bottles. Annetta had turned again, at the threat he ha

kill me, then! Here I am. What are you waiting for? For the Englishma

fallen in love with him?" asked

he old woman who beat her cat, and then cried when it ran away.

tter than Gigetto? Apopl

ll not even make love to me-not even with an eye. And then, because I love the Englishman, who is a great lord, though he says he is a doctor, I must die. Well

ch, he struck her with his open hand. Instead of striking her cheek, the blow fell upon the back of her head and neck, and sent her stumbling forwards. S

"But I will pay you-and S

her father gruffly, but alre

owly turned and gazed at the flaring wicks of the lamp. With a gesture that suggested the movement of a young animal, she rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and

or Tommaso," she said

wn contemptuously. In those days all the respectable peasants in the Roman villages had solid silver forks and spoons, which have long

taircase, but she recovered herself instantly, gave a finishing touch to the

" inquired the Scotchman, cheerful

t down at the end of the table, opposite the street door, and watched him as he swallowed one

e," said Annetta, at last, her c

ymple, carelessly, b

t be a fine thing to eat so much

cotchman, again be

ust be the reason. Besides, it does n

my country most of the people eat oa

t meat, too, like you. As for me-good bread, fresh cheese,

Dalrymple, attacking the

d cabbage! You can smell it a mil

, filling his glass, for the first mouthful of ham made him th

that one can carry on one's head. I will tell you. They use the small baskets for the finer things, the abbess's linen, and the altar cloths, and the chapl

id Dalrymple. "I should think that s

And when it has always been so, i

ey an impression of the immutability of all

ot much interested in the

d. "I suppose you see them, sometimes.

ly at the Scotchman's qui

e abbess's niece. Oh, that one is beaut

she like? Let me see, the abb

will be the next, when this one dies. She is Maria Addolorata, in religion, but I do not know her real name. She has a b

with something like a laugh.

ll you any more about the nun. But I think you are in love with the poor old Grape-eater. It is good ham, is it not? By Bacchus, I fed him on chestnuts with

answered Dalrymple. "Tell me, what do

onvent linen, so I see her when I go with my mother. That is because the Princes of Gerano first gave the linen t

n compounded of the very ancient traditions of the Sarace

en," he said. "That cannot be

fe. But Sister Maria Addolorata sings to herself, and that makes the abbess angry, because it is against the ru

rl become a nun, then? Was she

was of the Princes of Gerano, and there must be one of them for an abbess, and the lot fell upon her. There is the whole history. You may hear her singing sometimes, if you stand under the garden wall, on the narrow path a

with her, who cares?" Dalrympl

grave as she saw that some one was at the street door, looking in cautiously. "Come in, Sor Tommas

elvet collar, and having a case of instruments and medi

abbess is very ill, and I may be there a long time. If you think they would

aughed Annetta. "W

here had not been a trace of displeasure i