The Miracles of Antichrist

leaves on rosary beads. It was Sunday, but Gaetano did not feel it on

ind that the time he had been living at peace with Donna Elisa was now dra

t wandering from town to town and from house to hous

t Gaetano made stood in close rows on the shelves, and the rosaries hung in great bunches under

ere was no other way. For it could not be working to the honor of God to carve images that ne

6

ls, but whose interior yet stood shivering in nakedness. It awaited Gaetano’s coming to carve the choir chairs, th

of building a new church; it must be far away in such lands as Florida

ork with redoubled zeal in order that Donna Elisa should have so

s that he should have the strength to speak to Donna Elisa of his longing to go. For he knew th

said to himself that this day he could not think of saying it to her, f

since the famine had come, it had been as if they

e? Gaetano, who only saw him when he stood in the shop with his tufts of hair and his short jacket, did not know what kind of a man he was. He considered

silver-fringed epaulets, silver braid on his breast, and a sword at his side. And when he stepped up to the conductor’s plat

big houses round the market-place had sung too? From the black Palazzo Geraci, Donna Elisa had distinctly hear

t and a bright red necktie, had gone up to Don Ferrante, and had pointed out over the open side of the square, where Etna and the sea lay. “

ss. When[67] he laid down his baton for a while and took the advocate’s arm, and walked forward and back with him on the flat sto

Signora Voltaro had said quite suddenly, after sitting for a while, watching Don Ferrante: “Donna

answered that she prayed

at dress and hat and gloves were black; her veil was so thick that it was impossible to believe that there was a face behind it. Santissimo Dio! it

ir way to the cathedral had glided by, dressed in green skirts and yellow neckerchiefs. A couple of travellers had stood by the balustrade and looked at Etna; they had been dressed in white. And all the musicians in unifor

rom the steps of the town-hall, where they were riding on the railing, and had followed her at a few feet’s distance. And even the lazy Piero, who had been asle

t all stared at the black lady? Had no one be

are gathered together for the poor, and that only bring people misfortune! Is not that poor Signorina Palmeri, whose father has stolen from a charitable fund, an

f I am not mistaken,” Don Ferrante had said, “you a

ken a step backwards, as if

er, signorina, and she is consumed with a desire to make your acquaint

er to Donna Elisa. And she made no resistance. Donna Elisa w

the black lady, and throwing back

whole face smiled. Yes, Gaetano perhaps would not wish to carve or paint a Madonna from that face, for it was too thin and too pa

looked up with a smile, and the smile seemed to say: “Ah, does the world look so? Is it so beautiful? Let me s

ut a word, only with a smil

onna Elisa. “Where is she now?

y were glowing and clear, as if they were filled

,” she said,[70] harshly. And she

at she feared. It came into his mind to tell her now

rous. Donna Elisa was so sure that Gaetano would fall in love wi

er than a penniless daughter-in

ype="