Part 16 (1/2)
That resistless principle, which, like the loadstone and the needle, attracts loving souls one to the other, kept him at the side of the woman of his heart, watching her slighest wish, providing her with every thing with proud servility; and all the while humbly glancing at her with that look which art vainly seeks to represent--the look which alone can be given and understood between those who love with a true and perfect love.
Julia also, with a little graceful dignity, enjoyed hearing Clelia and Irene converse with Jack in broken Italo-English. They drew him out to relate some of the episodes of his sea-life, the adventures he had met with, and the tempests he had witnessed in his long voyages to India and China, for he had been at sea since he was seven years old.
The description he gave of the Chinese who stay at home and employ themselves in different kinds of work performed by women in other countries, while their wives row, and till the land, with their babies slung in a basket on their backs, caused much laughter among his fair hearers, and, indeed, to all present, when translated to them by one of the company.
”The nautical profession,” said Julia, ”is the one to which my country is most indebted for her greatness. My countrymen prize and honor their mariners. With us, not only in the countries bordered by the sea, but wherever there is a river or a lake, boys are to be seen continually taking exercise in boating and rowing, in which practices they run all kinds of danger, and this is the reason there are so many seafaring men to make the name of Britain great upon the ocean.
”I have known youths in France and Italy, who were destined to become naval officers, pa.s.s the greater part of their boyhood in the technical schools, going on board for the first time when they had attained their fifteenth and even their eighteenth year, when they suffer much, of course, from sea-sickness, and are exposed to the ridicule and contempt of the sailors.
”In England it is very different. Youths destined for the sea are put on board at eleven years of age, and frequently take long voyages, during which they are instructed practically in all the routine and details of their profession. This course insures the best naval officers in the world to England.
”The wealthy among my people do not h.o.a.rd up money to look at it, but employ it frequently in purchasing a yacht; and there are, indeed, very few persons living near sea or river who do not own or hire some sort of craft, large or small, in which they take their pleasure, and exercise themselves in the art which const.i.tutes the glory and prosperity of their land.
”In Italy you have seamen, I grant, who equal the best of any nation, but your officers will not stand the test of comparison. Your Ministers of Marine have ever been incompetent, and therefore incapable of improving and raising a profession which might yet render Italy one of the most important and prosperous nations of the globe.”
The subject so treated by Julia was a little foreign to our Romans, who were naturally ignorant of sea affairs. Their priests long ago found the oar and the net of St. Peter too heavy for their effeminate hands, and gave themselves up to merry-making and luxury as the easiest way of promoting the glory of G.o.d.
A pause ensuing, Julia called for a song or narrative, and Orazio said, ”Gasparo, the chief of bandits, could tell us, doubtless, some stirring pa.s.sages in his adventurous life.” Whereupon, with a bow and smile, the old man sat for a moment recalling some circ.u.mstance of his past life, and then answered-
”Perils on the sea I could not relate, because I have been very little upon it; but on land I have pa.s.sed through my share of strange adventures: and if it will not weary you to listen to one, I could, perhaps, relate events that would make you shudder.”
All expressing a wish to hear some portion of his history, Gasparo, settling himself to an easy att.i.tude commenced the following story.
CHAPTER XLVII. GASPERO'S STORY
”L'uotno naace piu grando in quests terra che in qualunque altra--ne sono una prova i grandi deletti che vi si commettono.”--Alfieri.
”I was born in the small city of S--------, in the States of the Church, not far from the Neapolitan frontier. My parents were honest folk, employed as shepherds in the service of the Cardinal.
”Being sent early to the field to tend sheep, cows, and buffaloes, and nearly always on horseback, I grew up with a robust hardy const.i.tution, and became a dexterous horseman.
”Up to the age of eighteen, I remained a true son of the Italian desert, knowing no other affection than that which I had for my horse, my la.s.so, and my weapons. With the latter I had become a formidable enemy to the deer and wild boar of the Roman forests. I was pa.s.sionately fond of hunting, an exercise suited to my nature: and I was accustomed to pa.s.s whole nights lying in ambush, watching for the deer, or the great gray tuskers in the marshes, where they delight to lie rolling in the mud.
”I knew the places frequented by the harts and hinds, and very often returned home with one of those graceful animals slung over my saddle.
”One day, after having secured my horse at a little distance, I placed myself in hiding, on the watch for a stag. I had been there but a short time, when I heard footsteps on the path behind me--a narrow forest road that led to the village.
”At first I thought it might be a wild beast of some description, and kept my carbine in readiness to fire as soon as I perceived it. After listening a few moments, I thought I heard voices, and presently there appeared in sight a young priest whom I had occasionally seen walking in the village, while by his side was a young girl who appeared to accompany him rather unwillingly.
”I had time to observe them both; the priest was about twenty years of age, very tall and finely proportioned; in fact, only a carbine and pointed hat were wanting to make a fine hunter or soldier of him.”
”The young girl! Ah! pardon my memory, still agitated by that sweet face!” and the old man's eyes here dimmed with tears. ”The young girl was an angel! I do not know how it was they did not discover me, for her beauty caused me to utter an involuntary exclamation, and my heart was stirred by a new and astonis.h.i.+ng emotion.
”He had offended her by some proposal, for she was turning to go; but as I regarded them, the priest threw his arm with almost violent force around his companion, and pressing his lips to her cheek, uttered some words that did not reach me, but caused a terrified and indignant look to pa.s.s over the girl's face, and she shrank back as if stung by a viper. Again the priest spoke and approached, when, with a cry, the peasant-girl broke from him and fled.
”He pursued her, and caught the shrieking damsel, whose hands he bound with her neck-rib-bon, and then forced her upon the ground. I can not tell why I was self-contained enough not to shoot him dead, but I had never drawn trigger against a human life, and I hesitated until he gave these last proofs of his abominable villainy. At this point, however, I sprang from my covert, and with one blow from the b.u.t.t-end of my gun, felled him to the ground, and then went to the a.s.sistance of the young woman, who had fallen fainting at some little distance upon the sod. I raised her gently in my arms, and carried her to the side of a brook, where I bathed her face with the cool, running water, until she opened her lovely eyes and faintly smiled her thanks, for, as she gazed around, a look of relief pa.s.sed over her features, when she perceived the absence of her persecutor. Then rising, she expressed, in a few words, her grat.i.tude for my intervention, saying she was sufficiently recovered to return to the village, and bade me farewell, but seeing she was still agitated, I begged her to allow me to conduct her to her home. She gave a modest a.s.sent, and I walked in happy and respectful silence till we reached the entrance to the village, where she stopped, and pointing to a small but pretty dwelling, said, 'That is my father's house; I have nothing more now to fear, so I will bid you a grateful adieu.' Raising her hand to my lips, I kissed it fervently, saying, I hoped to have the pleasure of meeting her soon again, under calmer circ.u.mstances, for I was completely enchanted by her grace and beauty, and felt I could no longer be happy out of her presence.
”I remained to watch her enter her abode before I turned to seek my horse, which I found neighing impatiently at my prolonged absence.