Part 15 (2/2)

The door was opened, and Annetta went in. Sor Tommaso was sitting up near the window, in a deep easy-chair covered with ragged green damask.

The girl was surprised by his pallor, as compared with his formerly rubicund complexion. Peasant-like, she glanced about the room to judge of its contents before she spoke.

”How are you, dear Sor Tommaso?” she asked after the short pause. ”Eh, what we have suffered for you, all of us! Who was this barbarian who wished to send you to Paradise?”

”Who knows?” returned Sor Tommaso, with amazing blandness. ”I trust that he may be forgiven as I forgive him.”

”What it is to be a wise man!” exclaimed Annetta, with affected admiration. ”To have such sentiments! It is a beautiful thing. And how do you feel now, dear Sor Tommaso? Are you getting your strength again?

They took your blood, those cowardly murderers! You must make it again.”

Their eyes met, and each knew that the other knew and understood. Sor Tommaso smiled gently. The savage girl's mouth twitched as though she should have liked to laugh.

”Little by little; who goes slowly goes safely,” answered the doctor. ”I am an old man, you must know.”

”Old!” Annetta was glad of the opportunity to laugh at last. ”Old? Eh, on Sunday, when you have on those new black trousers of yours that are tight, tight--you seem to me a boy as young as Gigetto. For my part, I should prefer you. You are more serious. Gigetto! What must I say? He is handsome, he may be good, but he has not a head. There is nothing in that pumpkin.”

”Blood of youth,” answered Sor Tommaso. ”It must boil. It must fling its chains about. Afterwards it begins to know the chains. Little by little it accustoms itself to them. Then it is quiet, quiet, as we old ones are. Sit down, my daughter. Serafina! A chair--the one that is not lame.

These chairs remember the blessed soul of mamma,” added Sor Tommaso, in explanation of their weakness.

”Requiesca'!” exclaimed Annetta, sitting down.

”Amen,” responded Sor Tommaso. ”You are so beautiful to-day,” he continued, looking at her flowered bodice and new ap.r.o.n; ”where have you been?”

”Where should I go? To Civitella. There was the fair. We ate certain chickens--tough! But the air of the mountain consumes. There were also fireworks.”

”What? Have you walked?” asked Sor Tommaso.

”Even with two legs one can walk,” laughed the girl. ”But of course a beast is better with four. The beasts had all gone to Tivoli with wine for Rome. They had not come back yesterday morning. Therefore with these two feet I walked. I and many others, girls like me. It is true that I am half dead.”

”You are fresher than lettuce,” observed Sor Tommaso. ”And then you have climbed up my stairs. This is a true Christian act. G.o.d return it to you. I am alone all day.”

”But the Englishman comes to see you,” said Annetta, indifferently.

”The Englishman, yes. He comes. More or less, he has almost cured me.

But then, for his conversation, I say nothing!”

”Meanwhile he is also curing the abbess. He has a fortunate hand. There death, here death--he makes them all alive. Where is death, now? Here, perhaps? Hidden in some corner, or under the bed? He has certain medicines, that Englishman! Medicines that you do not even dream of.

Strong! It is I that tell you. Sometimes, the whole house smells of them. Death could not resist them a moment. They drive even the flies out of the windows. The Englishman gave me some once. I had been in the sun and had drunk a gallon of cold water, foolish as I was. I was thirsty, as I am now. Well, he gave me a spoonful of something like water, mixed in water. I do not tell you anything. At first it burned me. Arch-priest, it burned! Then, not even a minute, and I had Paradise in my body. And so it pa.s.sed.”

”Who knows? A cordial, perhaps,” observed Sor Tommaso, thoughtfully. ”I have such cordials, too.”

”I do not doubt it,” answered the girl, suspiciously. ”But I would rather not taste them. I feel quite well.”

It crossed her mind that in return for three knife-thrusts, Sor Tommaso would probably not miss so good a chance of paying her with a gla.s.s of poison. She would certainly have done as much herself, had she been in his place.

”Who thought of offering you cordials!” replied the doctor, with a polite laugh. ”I said it to say it. But if you are thirsty, command me.

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