Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2

hings and had not come back again. Gigetto strolled in and took his guitar from the peg on the wall, and idled about the room, tuning it and humming to himself.

e half-open door, presumably in search of amusement. Gigetto's chief virtue was his perfectly childlike and unaffected taste for amusing himself, on the whole very innocently, whenever he got a chance. It was natural tha

in spite of his determination to be serious. He had been living the life of a hermit for months, and had almost forgotten the sound of an educated woman's voice. To him Annetta was nothing more than a rather pretty wild animal. It did not enter his head that she might be in l

himself, he was already forming plans for listening under the convent wall, if perchance he might catch the sound of the nun's wonderful voice, and from that to the wildest schemes for catching a momentary glimpse of the singer was only a step

ss and poured more into it,-by force of that old northern habit of drinking a certain allowance as a sort of duty, more common in those days than it is now. Then he began to read again, never dreaming

nary voices he had heard in his life, but none of them had ever affected him very much, though he had a good ear and some taste for music. He wondered what sort of voice this could be, and he

ymple still stood by the door, Stefanone appeared, having been to play a game of cards at a friendly wine-shop. He sat down by Sora Nanna at the table. She was mixing some salad in a big earthenware bowl ado

ing to bed. By this time it was nearly ten o'clock as we reckon the hours, or about 'four of the night' in October, according to o

he house since she had cleared the table and left him, but unconsciously he had the impression that she had been away, and was surprised to hear her in the r

one out," he said ca

rned her he

Gigetto? When do I ever go out alone at n

ank you," answered Dal

ght when you ate. Well-at your pleasure. Do not co

good-naturedly. "And cheese, and salt-wine,

rl, who had already placed most of t

d her father. "'Hunger makes

sked Sora Nanna, with bot

baio

d wine, for the sake of winning so much!" replied Sora Nanna

they come here. One takes a little a

ed. Dalrymple watched her idly, and he thought she was pale, and that her eyes

rink?" asked Stefanone

She sat down between

Stefanone, holding his glass to her lips with

yes for a moment, before she

little emphasis. "I will d

to be reconciled, for he loved the girl, in

unning peasant's eyes looking from one to th

hman," he said, turning to Dalrymple, "you must sometimes wish that you

," said Dalrymp

inging true, that touched him strangely. The gusty wind made the panes of his bedroom window rattle, and in the dream he was tapping on Maria Addolorata's casement and calling softly to her, to open it and speak to him, or calling her by name, with his extraordinary foreign accent. And he thought he was tapping louder and louder, upon the glass and upon the wooden frame, louder and louder still. Then he hea

square of his window was faintly visible in the darkness, as tho

up! You are wanted qui

t at that time known in Subiaco, except as an expensive toy, though already in use in Rome. As he

fly, as he glanced at the Scotchman, and then se

stretching his great white arms over his head, till his

have killed Sor Tommaso

exclamation of surp

und him lying across the way, in the street, wi

ple, turning, and calmly trimming hi

nore!" said Stefanone, im

?" asked the northern man, coolly.

Stefanone was growing exci

they had killed him?" he asked, with a curious, dry calmness of voice, as he instantly began to dress himself. "Get some clean linen, Signor Stefano. Tear it

ouse," answer

tter. Go and ma

door with one hand, while he continue

ow voices and broken sentences. The dawn was grey above the houses, and the autumn mists had floated up to the parapet on the side where the little piazza looked down to the valley, and hung motionless in the still air, like a stage sea in a theatre. In the distance was heard the clattering of mules' shoes, and occasionally the deep clanking of the goats' bells. Just as the little party reached the small, dark green door of the

ated to his lungs, and the third was little more than a scratch. Doubtless he owed his safety in part to the fact that the wind had blown his cloak in folds over his shoulders and head. But it was also clear that his assailant had possessed no experience i

tuously. "What can a woman do with a knife? W

! Sor Tommaso-who knows where he makes love?

aker. "Since it is nothing, let us have a baio

. Sor Tommaso groaned and winced under every touch, and the Scotchman, with dry gentleness, did his best to reassure him. Stefanone looked on in silenc

moaned Sor Tomm

" answered Dalrympl

a bright red, was now very pale, and his watery blue eyes blinked at the light helplessly like a kitten's, as he lay still on his pillow. Stefanone went away to his occupations at last, and Dalrymple, having cl

iracle," said Sor Tommaso, fee

hman. "It can do your soul no harm

his head slowly on the pillow. "But I also think of the abbess. I was to

over the other, and look

co. I am a doctor, properly licensed to practise. It is evide

, with sudden energy, and

shall kill them," asked

say that you have converse with the de

er

gure to yourself what sort of a scandal there would be! A Protestant in a conv

he abbess prefers to die in peace, she can answer to

is like! I have not seen it. Not so much as the tip of it! Not even her eyes did I see. And to-day I was not to be admitted at all, because the abbess would be in bed. Imagine to yourself, with blisters and sinapisms, and a hundred things. I was only to speak with Sister Mar

od for you. Besides, since you are able to speak, it would be better if you told me who sta

or Tommaso, with sudden gravity. "The woman has r

rned his