The Strolling Saint

nforming me that he should return within four days, betide what might, setting me tasks upon whi

, but he still wore his long, absurd and shabby gown and his loose, ill-fitting shoes, so that

ut at the gate. In the road he drew rein, and stood in talk some moments with a lad who id

the window of a room below. That she attached more importance to

ad that wound along the river-side until in the end he was lost to view-for

h no other company than Busio

ting myself in, I attempted to read, lighted by the three beaks of the tall brass lamp that stood upon the table. Being plagued by moths,

in doubt, and in conjecture. I became seriously introspective. I made an examination not only of conscience, but of heart and mind, and I found

take horse and ride to Mondolfo, there to confess myself to Fra Gervasio and to be guided by his counsel. My mother's vows concerning me I saw in their true light. They were not binding upon me; indeed, I should be doing a h

a for whom I ached in every nerve, although I still sought to conceal from myself the true cause of my suffering. Better a thousand times had I envisaged

rearing that was mine. At Mondolfo they had so nurtured me and so sheltered me from the stinging blasts of the world that I was grown into a very ripe and succulent

ut in his riper years he shall be fooled and conquered by the

just as I knew that lacking strength to resist, I must seek safety in flight. And to-morrow I would go. That point was settled

of my three-beaked lamp set her ruddy hair aglow so that it seemed there was a luminous nimbus all about her head. For a moment this gave colour to my fancy that I beheld a vision evoked by the too great inten

er. "Giuliana

" she asked me, and clos

earily, and I passed a hand over my brow to fi

and clutched her breast. "You go hence?" she cried,

tell my mother that he

ards me. "And... an

. I have no call. This I now know. And sooner than be such a priest as Messer Gambara-of

e when have yo

when I kissed you,"

etched a hand across it to me, inviting the cl

cause... O God! Giuliana, do you not s

p sharply. She set a finger to her lips. Ther

y Lord the Cardinal-legate

At this hour! Then Messer Fifanti's sus

me a glance ere

he caught up a quill and dipped it in the ink-horn, drew paper to herself, and swiftly wr

his to

e note, bowed

n had set all the legions of hell to achieve my overthrow that night. Naught more had been needed to undo me than this spur of jealousy. It brought me now to her s

d he come

affair connected with A

natural seeing that he h

lse, I am no party to

atan teaches women? How could I have guessed that when she saw Fifanti speak to that lad at the gate that afternoon she had fear

is as you say?" I asked

enly to rise. Like a snake came she gliding upwards into my arms until she lay

, thinking you love me, knowing

e-a despairing prayer for help, I think it was-and then I seemed to plunge headlong down through an immensity of space until my lips found hers. The ecstasy, the living fire, the

nsciousness: a glimmer that grew rapidly to be a blazing light in which I saw revealed the hideousness of the thing I did. I tore myself away from her in that se

at room and raved and heaped abuse and recriminations upon myself, ending by going down upon my knees to her, imploring her forgiveness for

she took my chin in the other, and rais

nd happiness, I will leave you now and never see

elf-control gave way,

that monster, to that cruel and inhuman pedant

g of that?" I pleaded. "O, if you love me,

thus, panting like wrestlers who have flung away from each other. At length-"Listen, Giuliana," I said more calm

sighed. "You would be

wiftly. "I should do you such a wro

and her face in shadow, so that I could not read what passed ther

e wrong that I should suffer-for that I should count

her robe, and I looked up to see her staggering towards the door, her arms in front of her like one who is blind. She reached it, pulled it op

must have knelt there, seeking grace and strength; and comforted at last, my calm restored, I rose, and went to

s an owl attracted by the light. Before that bird of evil omen, that harbinger of death, I drew back and crossed myself. I had a sight of its sphinx-li

g the light burning in the library, for it was not my habit to

om under it there came a slender blade of light. But it was not this that

jo; mi muojo

s last

n instant, the passage was flooded with light, and in the open