Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 6, 2025
But there was a happy greeting for man or wife who looked her way; and when La Testolina came peeping to behold the discomfiture of Baldassare, Vanna's gay looks found her out, and "Buon' giorno, La Testolina," came more cheerfully from her than it had come from her husband on the bridge.
Vanna's cheeks flew the flag. "Buon' giorno, Ser Baldassare!" shrilled La Testolina, plump and black-eyed leader of mischief. "Giorno, giorno, La Testolina," growled the old man. Vanna, very busy, grew as red as a rose. The others knelt back on their heels; compliments of a homely sort flew about, sped on by flashing teeth.
Vanna, blank and smiling, La Testolina with wandering, fearful eyes, followed. They found the prior sitting well back in his ebony chair and in meditation, his chin buried in his hand. He looked the prior's reproach, and was. "Now, women," said the prior, testily a fat and flabby old man with a sour mouth "now, women, which of you is at the bottom of this accursed business? Where is the baby?
The women screamed their delight, slapped their knees, or raised witnessing hands to heaven; La Testolina caught Vanna round the waist and gave her a resounding kiss. "Compliments, my little Vanna, compliments!" Her voice pealed like a trumpet. "Vi ringrazio, signore," said Vanna under her breath, and La Testolina held up a tress of her long hair to the light.
They could see nothing of his face, nothing but the shape of him, yet the women were sure he made a wistful appeal. Many were affected; the anxiety to hear him was intense, the squeezing fearful. An enormous fish-seller from the Lago di Garda, who had come in express, leaned over La Testolina and ground a braized heel into her toes.
I bought a little holy-water stoup with a Gesulino upon it, bowered in roses. On Sunday morning he patted my cheek and called me a good girl. To say nothing of the many times he has pinched my ear, all this was very kind, as you must see. With what do you ask me to reward him? Fie!" La Testolina snorted, and shrugged herself away. Vanna went on with her sewing and her little song
Then, on a bright morning in early September, old Baldassare came limping up the Ponte Navi with his pack on his back, paused a minute on the bridge, as his habit was, to look down on the busy laundresses by the water, spat twice, and so doing was observed, threw a cracked "Buon' giorno, La Testolina!" over the side, and went on his slow way to the Via Stella.
La Testolina could not contain her virtuous indignation for who is so transcendently righteous as your rascal for once in the right? "Hey, woman!" she cried shrilly, "what grossness is this? Do you think the whole city don't know about you?" Vanna turned quivering. "And what is it that the whole city knows but does not say, if you please?" The prior wagged helplessly his hands.
So with their thoughts: the prior thought he had seen the Holy Virgin; Fra Corinto thought the prior an old fool; La Testolina hoped his reverence had not the colic; and Vanna thought of nothing at all. The prior cleared his throat once or twice, looked at the young woman, and felt quite himself. Ridiculous what tricks a flicker of sunlight will play on the wisest of men!
The prior's lips moved at his prayers; Fra Corinto looked frowningly before him; La Testolina was fidgety to speak, but dared not; Vanna, her long form like a ripple of moonlight in the dusk, cooed under her voice to the baby; he, unheeding cause of so much strife in high places, held out his pair of puckered hands and crowed to the company.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking