The Strolling Saint

d of things indefinable. Never before had I seen her coldly placid countenance so strange

d level, almost inanimate, tones. Her cheeks were flushed unnaturally, her

e over the ground. Not me she addressed, but poor L

quoth she. "What make

nclasping. Her lips moved; but she was too terrified to answer. It was Giojoso who stepped forward to

nch!" she cri

I said or that I spoke at all, I answered her out of the store

in the sight of G

nger, of pious anger than wh

ounced me. "What has

rightly judging, perhaps

iercely to Giojoso, "let her be whipped hence and

to my feet, a tightening about my heart, and bes

t to me. Falcone I had loved; indeed, in my eighteen years of life he was the only human being who had knocked for admission upon the portals of my heart. Him they had driven forth. And now, here was a child-the fairest creature of God's

realizing that there are no spirits so vengeful, so fierce, so utterly intolerant, ungoverna

ity has ever known, Catholic burns heretic, and heretic butchers Catholic, all for the love of Christ; and each glories devoutl

g that hideous deed with a mind at p

I had grown since then, and I had ripened more than I was aware. It remained for this moment to reveal to me the ext

ng the command I grew very cold and stea

turning away to do my m

But you will add from me that if there is one amongst them dares to obey it and to

fell to trembling; behind him, Rinolfo, the cause of all this garboil, stared with round big eyes;

re, conscious and glad of my hei

what do you wait? About it, sir, and

tched in ludicrous bewilderment, every line of him bese

na!" he s

d hard, and

fy my will

our order shall be given. I insist upon it. But it shall lie with the discret

, and I was making a furious,

protested. She was still rather helpless, rather breathless and

, perhaps you had better

. so lost to shame?" A returning note of warmth in her accents war

l. "I think that for her own sake, poor maid, it were better that she went

and quit this home of misery. And be easy. For if any man in M

tle Luisina," said I, sighing. But she shrank and trembled under my touch. "Pity me a li

shook off what self-control she had ever learnt, or whether she felt secure enough in my prote

d upon that hand of mine. "God reward you your swe

id I. "I begin to

her fears were reawakened, turned suddenly and went quickly along the terrace, pa

quoth the wretched seneschal, reminding

olded her hands. She was by now quite com

nch depart. So that she goes we

f life and love that God made and that St. Francis praises. I do not think he would have praised Mo

inely rebellious

Agostino?" gas

very sadly. She flashed me one of her r

t girl..." And then she checke

was moving stealthily away, following the road Luisina had taken. The conviction that he went

here! Rinolf

es, and looked over hi

among the grooms and serving-men at Mondolfo I must have been held in a certain measu

d to hesitate I had to repeat the order mo

ied my mother, setting a

ng uneasily upon his feet, his air mutinous and sullen. Over his shou

smiled just

mpudently, as who would say:

me why you smil

e again, and shrugged to

display of anger he looked truculent, and t

ce, and such is the power of habit that for a m

d driven hence by your contriving; you smiled to see your broken snares avenged. And you were f

t my patience gave out utterly. Ere any could stop me I h

" I cried. "Must you be taught s

y mother. "Help, Ser Giojoso!

was so ill-advised in that moment as to attempt to defend himself. He rashly struck

e your hand to me? Am I your lord, or am I dirt of your own kind? Go lea

fool had never suspected in me the awful strength which until that hour I had never suspected in myself. Else, perha

him; my mother screamed

light. I did not greatly care if I killed him. But he was fortunate enough to get no worse hurt than a b

o lay moaning where he had fallen, the angle at which the half of one of his

ojoso, others she sent in urgent quest of Fra Gervasio, me she hurried along to her private dinin

ed windows upon the whitewashed wall could help to gladden, I stood a little sullenly what time s

he had heard some rumour of what had chanced. His keen

happened?"

?" wailed my mother. "

rows. "Posses

vils. He has been violent. He

frowning with full tutorial sternness.

I, rebellious once more. "I had

"It is the end of the world, Gerv

quarrel?" quoth the friar,

dibly. "I do not quarrel with Rinolfos. I chastise them w

fraid; for, after all, I had a kindness for Gervasio, and I would not willingly engage in

her who saved

d in him. He has the abominable pride tha

opposite. It set him instantly on my side, in antagonism to the abuser o

r and sighed. Then, with bowed head, and hands cl

said. "Perhaps Agostino received

xultant to prove him wrong. "You shall hear a

n to tell her-of how I had shown the fellow violence in the fir

listened. But ere she had quite done, una

," I exclaimed. "And it increases my regrets

n amazement-not at the fact, but at the au

said Fra Gervasio. "What

n Rinolfo's limed twigs, and how in a fury he had made to beat her, so that she had fled to me for shelter an

showed him, and the reason for it. If you say that I

smile of friendliness. But my mother in

of sin has he not fallen, and every moment he goes deeper! Ha

I answered hotly, for it stung me to the soul to be branded thus a

ndignation. "Agostino, I am y

at least, you cannot blame me,"

vasio, who stood glum and frowning. "Is he... is he perchance bewitched?" she

th a wave of the hand

," he said. "Agostino does not

ith these two eyes-sitting together on the terrace steps, and he

fter Rinolfo left us. My tale never got so far. It is quite true. I did si

ou had your arm about her-an

den from me until now? To console the afflicted is an ordination of Mother Church; to love our fellow-

enance-as I now know-some trace of irony or guile. Fi

hat Agostino is nearer to being a sain

ly she shook her head. "Unhappily for him there is another

n to do as you seem in danger of doing, Madonna, and b

to stamp himself with the brand of Cain-exists. He confesses that himself. His insubordination to me

He is beyond my control. He has shaken off

o, Madonna. Even now it is not too late. Let him go

in horror. "O, no, no! I have

or ever," said he. "He must g

strong enough within him, a convent..." She l

bade me. "Fra Gervas

nce of it. But I went, none the less, and her last words to me as I was departing were an injunction that I should spend the time until I