Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2

e in Subiaco. Either the nuns were hardly ever ill, or else they must have doctored themselves with such simple remedies as had been handed down to them from forme

ed some others rather precipitately from their cells to that deep crypt, closed, in the middle of the little church, by a single square flag of marble, having two brass studs in it, and bearing the simple inscription: 'Here lie the bones of

at last the slapping and shuffling of shoes along the pavement within, as the portress and another nun came to let him in. Then there were faint rays of light from their little lamp, quivering through the cracks of the old weather-beaten door upon the cracked marble steps on which Sor Tommaso was standing. A thin voice asked who was there, and Sor Tommaso answered that he was the doctor. Then he heard a little colloquy in suppressed tones between the two nuns. The one said that the doctor was expected and must be let in without question. The other observed that it migh

or?" asked one of the vo

Taddei of the University of the Sapienza, and I have been calle

there was a jingling of keys and a clanking of iron bars and a grinding of locks, and presently a small door, cut and hung in one leaf of

e exclaimed, when h

ly name," answered bot

lked on each side of him, the one on the left carrying the lamp, according to the ancient rules of politeness. At last they reached the door of the antechamber at the end of the corridor, through which the way led to the abbess's private apartment, consisting of three rooms. The last door on the left, as Sor Tommaso faced that which opened into the antechamber, was that of Maria Addolorata's cell. The linen presses were entered from within the anteroom by a do

plight. Both in the anteroom and in the parlour there were polished silver lamps of precisely the same pattern as the brass ones used by the richer peasants, excepting that each had a fan-like shield of silver to be used as a shade on one side, bearing the arms of the Braccio family in high boss, and attached to the oil vessel by a movable curved arm. The furniture of the ro

an enormous concession to necessity that Sor Tommaso was allowed to feel her pulse, and it needed all Maria Add

verend mother," he added, turning to the young nun, "will carry out my directions, something may be don

," said the abbess, in a

a Addolorata. "It shall be done

e words were spoken, and proceeded to give his directions, whic

son, the remedies would be more efficacious," he suggested, as he laid ou

nd she might have said more, but was interrupted by a violent attack of co

do all you have ordered, and your presence irritates her. Come ba

reluctantly closed his case, placed it under his arm, gathered up his bro

est and speedy recovery," he said. "I am your

d, and they were alone together for a moment, all the doors being

ou think?"

to say anything

of marshmallows; for the pleurisy, severe blistering; for the pneumonia, a good mustard plaster; for the general system, the black draught; above all, nothing to eat. Frictions with hot oil will also do good. It is the practice of medicine by proxy, my lady mother.

ow morning, and I will see you

in the corridor, and they led him back through the vaulted passa

ngs of a night bird. After descending some distance, he carefully set down his case upon the stones and fumbled in his pockets for his snuffbox, which he found with some difficulty. A gust blew up a grain of snuff into his right eye, and he stamped angrily with the pain, hurting his foot against a rolling ston

lying motionless.

ps coming down the path behind him. He c

wind!" he added vehemently, as his head and hands bec

ed a woman's voice, speaking

heard for a moment again in the narrow, winding way, and Sor Tommaso was lying motionless on his face across his box, with his cloak over his head. The gusty south wind blew up and