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As Colomba pronounced the last words, she dropped into a chair, drew her mezzaro over her face, and was heard sobbing beneath it. The weeping women crowded round the improvisatrice; several of the men were casting savage glances at the mayor and his sons; some of the elders began to protest against the scandal to which their presence had given rise.
Amid all the angry voices Colomba was heard telling her satellites that before they went to work she would give each man of them a large glass of anisette. Unluckily, or rather luckily, the impression she had expected to produce by her own cruel treatment of the poor horse was largely lost on Orso.
"Well?" "My brother is lying. If you choose, I might see him, and give him one kiss." Miss Nevil made a gesture of astonishment. "I got out of Pietranera without being noticed," continued Colomba, "because I was with you, otherwise I should have been followed. To be so close to him, and not to see him! Why shouldn't you come with me to see my poor brother? You would make him so happy!"
"Perhaps," said the guide, "your brother took the higher path; we came by the lower one." But Colomba only shook her head and asked more questions.
As soon as the black horse came within reach, she caught him firmly by the mane, and split his ear open with her knife. The horse gave a violent leap, and tore off with that shrill cry which sharp pain occasionally extorts from his kind. Quite satisfied, Colomba was making her way back into the garden, when Orso threw open his window and shouted, "Who goes there?"
She coloured deeply, rose eagerly, went a few paces forward, and then stopped short, apparently much confused. Orso was quite close to her, and was looking at her curiously. "Are you Orso Antonio della Rebbia?" said she in a tremulous voice. "I am Colomba." "Colomba!" cried Orso.
She did not fall asleep till daybreak, and when she woke the sun had travelled high above the horizon. In front of her bed she beheld Colomba, waiting, motionless, till she should open her eyes. "Well, dear lady, are you not very uncomfortable in this poor house of ours?" said Colomba to her. "I fear you have hardly slept at all."
"My future sister-in-law doesn't like the maquis," laughed Colomba. "She got too great a fright in one of them." "Well," said Orso, "you are resolved to stay here? So be it! But tell me whether there is anything I can do for you?" "Nothing," said Brandolaccio. "You've heaped kindnesses upon us.
A sigh was the only answer Orso could find. Colomba came to his side, led him into a window, and spoke to him for a moment in an undertone, showing him something she held under her mezzaro. "Mademoiselle," said Orso to Miss Nevil, "my sister is anxious to give you a very odd present, but we Corsicans have not much to offer except our affection which time never wipes out.
Shall I take it up to your room?" "You take it up! Why, you'd never be strong enough even to lift it! . . . Is there no man about who can do it?" "I'm not so weak as you think!" said Colomba, turning up her sleeves, and displaying a pair of round white arms, perfect in shape, but looking more than ordinarily strong. "Here, Saveria," said she to the servant; "come and help me!"
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