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Updated: May 31, 2025
To-day Lucrezia was in the service of distinguished forestieri, and she was gazing now across the ravine straining her eyes to see a procession winding up from the sea: donkeys laden with luggage, and her new padrone and padrona pioneered by the radiant Gaspare towards their mountain home. It was a good day for their arrival. Nobody could deny that.
It had made him think of an early morning long ago, when he and his Padrona had followed a coffin down the narrow street of Marechiaro, and over the mountain-path to the Campo Santo above the Ionian Sea. He shook his head, murmuring to himself. He was not swearing now. He shook his head again and again.
A great shout of laughter greeted Mae's ear, and a pretty picture met her eyes gaily decked youths and maidens clapping their hands and chattering brightly, while the padrona was just entering the opposite doorway, bearing two flasks of native wine, and some glasses. "'Tis genuine Orvieto," she called out, and this raised another shout. Then she caught sight of Mae and bowed low towards her.
Artois felt the iron of this faithful servant's impenetrable reserve, but he continued very quietly and composedly: "You have always stood between the Padrona and trouble whenever you could. You always will I am sure of that." "Si, Signore." "Do you think there is any danger to the Signora's happiness here?" "Here, Signore?" Gaspare's emphasis seemed to imply where they were just then standing.
"There was a bad prospect for the expectant bridegroom in France, for whenever the padrona spoke of him, it was with a laugh we knew, and which boded no good; but she still wrote frequently to the marquis and his mother, and many a letter from Rochebrun reached our house. To be sure, her excellenza also gave Don Luis more than one secret audience.
Argo alone would pin any one to the earth. "Let out the dogs, Adamo," the marchesa would say. "I like to hear them. They are my soldiers they defend me." "Yes, padrona," Adamo would reply, stolidly. "Surely the Signora Marchesa wants no other. Argo has the sense of a man when I discourse to him."
She looked at him intently, and he saw tears in her eyes. "Gaspare, what is the matter with Madre?" "Signorina?" "Oh, what is the matter?" She came a step nearer to him. "Gaspare, I'm frightened! I'm frightened!" She laid her hand on his arm. "Why, Signorina? Have you seen the Padrona?" "No. But but I've heard What is it? What has happened? Where has Madre been all this time?
It is not more than twelve feet square, and the persons most continuously in it, not counting those who are in transit, are the Padrona Angela; the Padrona Angela's daughter, Signorina Rita; the Signorina Rita's temporary suitor; the suitor's mother and cousin; the padrona's great-aunt; a few casual acquaintances of the two families, and somebody's baby: not always the same baby; any baby answers the purpose and adds to the confusion and chatter of tongues.
Yet there had often been fierce quarrels between the old and young lady, and if the padrona had had reason to clip the wild falcon's wings and teach her what is fitting for noble ladies, the signorina would have been justified in complaining of many an exaction, by which the padrona had spoiled her pleasure in life.
Perhaps this very thing made him irresistible, since we are all born for death and no suitor is so sure of victory as he. "The padrona had not been favorably disposed to him at first, but this mood soon changed, and at New Year's he too was admitted to small evening receptions of intimate friends. He came whenever we invited him, but had no word, no look, scarcely a greeting for our young lady.
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