Corleone: A Tale of Sicily

st by accident, and afterwards because he was attracted by her, and took

the hills, and there were races out at the Capannelle; moreover, there were dances at which the windows were kept open all night, until the daylight began to steal in and tell tales of unpleasant trut

the old Italian manner. There were no very magnificent preparations for the dance, which was rather a small and intimate affair, but there was the magnificent luxury of well-proportioned space, which belonged to an older age, there was the gentle light of several hundred wax candles

ssion of social tyranny, and from the disturbing presence of the rich social recruit, who was sown

mber for years,' said Corona to Gianforte Campodoni

garden,' he answered, not exactly comprehending, for he was not a

spoken to her in a conservatory, and many things had happened in consequence. The wax-candles and the smell of open-air flowers, and the glimpses of moonlight through vast windows may have had something to do with it; but surely t

responsible to no one for his actions. She had learned many things since she had come to Rome, but she did not understand more than half of them, and what she understood least of all was the absolute power which Orsino exerted o

of tacit understanding among the English-speaking races to the effect that young people are never to count on each other till each has got the other up the steps of the altar, that there is nothing disgraceful in breaking an engagement, and that love-making at large, without any intention of marri

The girl was not neglected, however. San Giacinto had his own reasons for wishing to be on good terms with her brothers, and he made his wife introduce partners to Vitto

y when he is not under the influence of an emotion from which he canno

ks. 'In order to

the way of temptation, well knowi

him. He had been accustomed to find that resistance in her. But Vittoria offered none at all, a fact which gave his rather despotic nature a sudden development, while the absence of opposition made him look upon his disinclination to decide the question of marriage as something he ought to have been ashamed of. At the same time, there was the fact that he had grown somewhat cynical and

tled at last and that they were to leave Rome within the week to take possession of the Corleone lands. The deeds had been signed and the money had been paid. There were no further formalities, and it was

im on the sleeve, and dropped Campodonico's arm. He started a li

pened?' she asked

glancing at Campodonico. 'I am going to Sicil

account for it by telling herself that the journey was to make a great change in her son's life, or by arguing that she had half unconsciously supposed him about to engage himself to Vittoria. But neither explanation was at all satisfactory. She was not imaginativ

th the Corleone?' she asked, and she was sur

tell you some

ll

cert

s she was then wondering herself, and attributing it to her anxiety about his position with regard to Vittoria. Thinking of that, he stopped short in his walk just as he caught sight of the young

blood rise in his throat, and felt that his face was warm; and then, as they swung off to the other side of the big ballroom, he grew cool again, and asked himself what he should do, repeating the question rather helplessly. She came round once more, and just as he felt the same heat of the blood again, he saw that her eyes had caught his. In a flash her

ch crossed the street to the garden at the back of the palace. The bridge was in the shadow, but the white moonlight fell full upon the fountain and the walks beyond; and moo

ut of ten, lead to no result, because, at such times the mind is in no state to examine anything, least of all itself. Indeed, no healthy-minded man resorts to that sort of introspection unless h

r a young girl was something which he had never felt before. That was plain enough, by this time. The real question was, whether he should marr

s, indeed, a harmless soul, provincial and of unusual manners, but not vulgar in the ordinary sense of the word. Vittoria's father was said to have been a very good kind of man, who had been outrageously treated by his elder brother. But the strain was bad. There were hideous stories of treachery, such as

d it hard to believe that she was really a Corleone at all. His arguments began from a premiss which assumed her practically perfect. Had he bee

to be called, by himself at least, 'thee' and 'thou,' and by their baptismal names. Lastly, it meant that Vittoria's mother and his own should come into close terms of intimacy, for Maria Carolina would make the most of the connection wit

e meant to marry her. And he was in love. Compared with giving up Vittoria, and with doing something which seemed dishonourable, the accumulated wic

he knew that he had but a word to say, and his future would be sealed irrevocably in a promise which he never would break

mother, in the certainty that her counsel would be good and honourable. Or he might have told his favourite brother the whole story, and Ip

ged, that the waltz during which he had watched Vittoria was over, and that a square dance had begun. He smiled rather grimly to himself as he reflected that he might stand there till morning, without getting any nearer to a conclusion. He turned his back on the moonlight impatiently and

a d'Oriani's voice, close beside him, c

ino! Don

door opening to the ballroom. Orsino stood still a moment, in great surprise at seeing h

for several men were standing about on the ot

e repeated nervously,

asked Orsino, in displeas

altered. 'I slipped ou

laughed

know. People would think it strange. You are always supposed to be with so

peating his words. 'I mean-' she corrected h

o great a mistake in speech not to have come from a strong impulse within. Yet he could hardly

ttoria's face, and she was pale. During some moments neither spoke, and the music of the quadrille irrita

m in the ballroom,' she

ly, his eyes fixed on her

ere was

d Vittoria at last, and he

said Orsino, slow

ing quadrille went pounding on in the distance, through the hackneyed turns of the familiar

t?' asked O

; but I knew it

o her again, his glance drawn back to

e began in a

rille was very noisy, and she did not understand. She

did not hear. The mus

bent over to him, he could almost feel her breath on his cheek

outside! We cannot even

his face. She was excessively pale now; and all the golden light seemed to have faded at once,

he asked timidly,

swered Orsino, in a voice

k street, he stopped, and instantly his hand found

re whirling round one another like mad black ghosts in the moonlight. When she looked up, she could see Orsino's eyes, bright in the sh

e said; and his voice w

ooking up to his, she slowly bent her little head twice, while her lips parted

hood. It seemed a crime to touch her lips as though she had been a mature woman. He dropped her hand, and his long arms brought her tenderly and softly up to his breast; and as her head fell back, and her lids dro

it, too,' he whi

, so dearly!' cam

lips close to her face; and his lips pressed the small

e must be alone-com

nt on quickly, lest they should be noticed through the open door from within. The air

ould we?' he asked, as he drew her away al

?' Her hand tightened

injured ages ago, and stone-gray where it was not very white, with flying draperies broken off short in the fol

r, and she smiled, her lips parting again, and just glistening darkly in the light as a dewy ros

no once more, as though

s that followed meant most of all, while Vittoria gently took his two han

go away-now?' sh

he rest of his life, and all he had undertaken to

talk of that,

t is true? You will not

e-or, at least, I shall soon come

oing to Sicily?' S

new where I was

s not sure. Tell me

d. San Giacinto would think it ve

nd with him! Yes-I see-you are going

from one conclusion to another without a mistake. She pressed h

he cried. 'If it were anywhere el

you did not care much for the old place

hey will kill you. Oh, do not go! Do not

ed to laugh, but he saw ho

sked, as though humourin

e seemed to be hesitating in some sort of struggle. Though she loved him with all the whole-hearted impulses of her nature, it was not easy to tell him what she meant. The Sicilian blood

her arms round his neck as though she could keep

I have no enemies. As for the brigands, everyone laughs at that sort of thing nowadays. They be

im and grew calmer, for she was sensible a

are a reality. I am a Sicilian, and I know. People are killed by them almost every day, and the

t Winchester rifles?'

e said quietly. 'And the ou

uld they wish to kill m

hold while Ferdinando was alive, and she knew what that meant, when coupled with the occasional comments upon Ferdinando's mode of life, which escaped in Francesco's incautious conversation at home. To

he forests on the other side of the valley. They would never have hurt my brothers, who are Sicilians and poor, and who did not trouble them either. But you and your cousin are great people, and rich, and not Sicilians, and the mafia will be against you, and will support the brigands if the

zzled, though it all s

t spoken of, but we do not any of us really k

t is the resistance which the whole Sicilian people opposes to all kinds of government and authority. It is, how shall I say? A sentiment, a feeling, a sort of

nce we have the law on our side,'

ttoria, her voice beginning to express her anxiety again. 'If y

t it did not occur to Orsino to be of

e you,' he said, smiling, and drawing her to

gain. She had not told him all she

t he could see her eyes. 'It is true earnest, deadly earnest. They mea

o has bought

e for anyone but you? Is it nothing, that I love you so? That we have told each oth

my whole li

ur cousin. Let him get a regiment of soldiers sent there by the government to live

s!' Orsino laughed,

with no mafia! You laugh now-but when they have killed you I shall not live to laugh again. Am I your life? Then you are mine. What will there be without you, when they have killed

to soothe her. 'Such things are not done in a

se they thought he was a spy! And one betrayed some of the band last summer, and they did not kill him at once, but caught him and tortured him, so that it took him three da

me were true, I should

ou from going?' aske

ck to you. You will wonder how you could h

nd then her lip quivered, so that she quick

e convent,' she said in a broken voice. 'When the

ck, we shall be

Camaldoli-we shall never

row smaller, as though something crushed her. But there were no tears in her e

y for you, if I cannot save you. God will hear me, thoug

hair once more, when they were again in the shadow on the bridge. Then they waited till no one was passing t

to my mother nor my brothers about

I come back, if you w

n amongst the p