Puslapio vaizdai
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human soul. Losing his self-possession, he cried:

"You wish to get rid of me because you fear that which is denied you by your calling may fall to my lot. Beware that you commit no sin."

Behind

He left the monk standing. him he heard a cry, a stifled cry, but he did not look around.

In the afternoon the women offered to show him the greatest sight of Saracenesco, the graveyard, which lay on the other side of the summit, and which was at the same time the promenade of Saracenesco. A footpath led thither. For fifteen minutes they walked beside enormous cliffs, along the abyss; then they reached a place resembling an open hall. At the entrance stood a cross. In vain did Heinrich look around him for mounds; on every side were barren rocks; still, this was a cemetery. Finally he grasped the situation. The dead of Saracenesco rested within the rocks themselves, which enclosed the square on three sides; for as they could not bury the remains in the earth, they hollowed out of the stone the last resting-places for the departed. the path was too narrow to admit of the carrying of a corpse along this way, above the burial-place an apparatus was arranged at a place in the overhanging rock, which by means of ropes lowered the dead to the plain. Here they were met and pushed into the tombs, which were immediately walled up. Thus did the descendants of the Saracens inter their dead.

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the world to cherish serious suspicion of the handsome stranger. What harm could he do them? No one went astray in Saracenesco. Passionate wooing was unknown in this remote spot. The families arranged the marriages, and sons and daughters were content with the choice made by their parents.

Heinrich was forced to promise his friends to teach them on the following day what an artist was, and to prove to them that painting was no hellish art. After the evening meal so many neighbors arrived that Nubia proposed repairing to the tree, there to dance the saltarello. The merriment continued until midnight, although it terminated all too soon for Heinrich: Nubia had danced with him!

Early the next morning Heinrich brought forth his sketch-book and turned his steps toward the tree, accompanied by the children and whomsoever happened to be on the street. The chorus of watercarriers was already assembled at the well, and in the reservoir next it women were washing. Heinrich began to draw tree, well, and basin, besides the living figures in the landscape, experiencing some difficulty with the latter, for the water-carriers left their duties, the women their washing, to press around him. When he had cleared a space for his work he asked Nubia to remain at the well, to lean easily against the railing, and to rest her arm upon the conca.

The artist portrayed tree and well admirably, and the excitement increased as Nubia appeared on the paper, as natural as reality. All recognized her, everyone exclaimed. Nubia was led in triumph before her image. She gazed in silence at the drawing and turned pale.

Every woman present wished to pose at the well, and Heinrich drew as many as he could. He sketched the heads of the prettiest, wrote their names underneath, cut the leaves out of his book, and presented each with a copy.

In this manner the people of Saracenesco learned what an artist was, and they were delighted.

As the first sitting far exceeded all expectations, the young Nazarene indulged in bright hopes for the future: he would sketch and paint at Saracenesco until there was nothing left undone. Motive upon motive occurred to him, composition upon composition, one more solemn than

the other. What a wealth of pictures Nubia's form alone would afford him!

It became clear to Heinrich that by his acquaintance with Saracenesco and its inhabitants he had made a discovery for the world of Art, for where in the world were there such models? Not even in Rome! What a delight to be able to present these works in Rome, to be the first to do so. He possessed the artist's sin of selfishness.

At night he had an interview with the mother in Nubia's presence. He wished to remain the whole summer,- longer, much longer than that! He could only stay, however, on the condition that he might pay his board. The women finally agreed to this proposition, and he handed the elder a small sum of money which seemed to be a treasure to her. He declared his intention of going the next day to Tivoli, there to make all sorts of purchases,― food as well as various articles needed to produce oil-sketches.

He

Heinrich was absent two days. bought at Tivoli a load which required the services of a mule for its transportation. There were yards of canvas, gallons of oil, crayons and chalks, besides a generous supply of white and red Tivoli wine, ham, salt pork, salt fish, and macaroni. The artist had even remembered preserved paradise-apples, and in addition to all this store there was a magnificent silk shawl and a strand of corals. The shimmering silk, destined for Nubia's mother, was laid with the macaroni, while the corals were carefully stowed away on his person-these were for the daughter. Nor were the other inhabitants of Saracenesco overlooked by Heinrich, who brought them rockets, pin-wheels, and Roman candles.

Joyfully Heinrich walked beside the mule and its youthful driver, and when he espied the gray houses on the summit of the mountain he felt as if he were nearing home. At Vicovaro he came upon the worthy divine, who greeted the artist as an old acquaintance.

"Well, have you been to Saracenesco among the heathen?»

"I have."

"What did I tell you: a savage people, an un-Christian people ?-whither are you journeying to-day?"

Heinrich nodded in the direction of the hamlet: "Up there."

"Eh?»

"To Saracenesco.»

"To the heathen again?"

"I shall remain there all summer, perhaps longer. Farewell! I cannot stop." "But, listen

Heinrich did not listen, however. As the reverend gentleman stood in the middle of the road, the words he muttered did not sound exactly like a quotation from Horace.

The nearer he came to the mountain, the more did Heinrich quicken his pace, leaving the lazy mule with the boy far behind him. He had reached the steep height, could see the rocky path and the cross at which Nubia had said the women awaited the return of the men in the autumn, and imagine his feelings when he saw a female form under the cross! The person waiting there saw him and beckoned to him.

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Were you not watch for you; And now you

She glanced at him calmly. "Are you not our guest? to return? I was obliged to my mother bade me do so. are here.» "Now I am here." Unconsciously he repeated her words.

They proceeded on their way, he following her, on account of the narrowness of the path. Suddenly he halted and called, "Nubia!"

She turned toward him.

"I should like to ask you something!" Expectantly she looked in his face. Mustering all his courage and forcing himself to speak with composure, he said:

"You just said that since your father's death you had not stood by the cross to welcome the men, your heart filled with hope and at the same time with fear, like

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Heinrich gasped:

"So poor Argante is in love with-would like to wed you; then in the autumn you will doubtless watch for his return! And if poor Argante does not die of the fever this summer, you will become his wife next year."

Gentle, good-natured Heinrich would have liked to have strangled this "poor Argante." In addition to this, Nubia took the matter quite seriously, replying:

"If he speaks to mother, and if she betrothes me, what can I do but marry him ? »

"What can you do? Let him go about his business! What girl would marry a man whom she did not love?»

He trembled with indignation. She did not understand him; she only saw that he was vexed, that she had angered him. It grieved her, and she would gladly have conciliated him. At this juncture it occurred to her that she had wished to ask a favor of him relative to this very "poor Argante." Perhaps her mother would listen to him if he would speak to her for she did not want to marry Argante. She had thought of this plan and had resolved to ask her guest to intercede for her. She told him this somewhat shyly and fearfully, for she feared she might again arouse his anger.

"Brother Girolamo advises mother to give me to Argante."

"Brother Girolamo, indeed! Well, I might have thought so!"

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"I? You want me to use my persuasive powers as well? That is unnecessary; Brother Girolamo has already advised her."

"For that very reason you must persuade her to change her mind."

"To change her mind, Nubia! » "Yes."

"If I am to persuade your mother

He had heard her words, he heard that he was to use his influence with the mother, at Nubia's request. In a trice his mood changed, in a trice he became the happiest of mortals, for Nubia would wed Argante only if her mother wished it; but Nubia had urged him to dissuade her parent. He would do so, indeed.

They continued on their way. The boughs of the chestnut-trees closed over them; around them was a veritable bower of hedge-roses and honeysuckle, entwined with the tendrils of the wild cucumber. Firs and mastichs, red peonies and yellow lilies grew in the path, across which large emerald-green lizards darted. Gailycolored turtle-doves and wood-pigeons fluttered in the air, blackbirds and thrushes warbled. Pointing to a glade filled with a wealth of blossoms and flooded with sunlight, Heinrich cried ecstatically:

"See, how beautiful!"

This, however, she could not understand. He sought to explain to her why the sunlit scene was beautiful, but he could not. There were people who did not know what was beautiful, to whom beauty could not be explained. Would the handsome creature by his side ever realize her own beauty, of which at present she was ignorant?

A number of girls were drawing water at the well; when they espied the artist, they exclaimed, "There is Don Enrico!»

The laden mule next appeared on the scene, to be led by Heinrich and his companions in triumph to Nubia's dwelling. Whosoever chanced along joined the train. In the presence of all the animal was relieved of its burden. What treasures! Ham and salt pork the worthy people had seen, of macaroni they had heard. What rejoicing there was when Heinrich invited them all to a "macaroni-bake" under the tree. After this ingenious stroke of diplomacy the intruder had no need to fear the priest's enmity; the

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Just at this moment the two widows with flowing hair and the appearance of maniacs came up the street, stretching their arms toward heaven and uttering piercing shrieks. Behind them, with the same distracted air, followed all the women of the hamlet. Heinrich's hostess joined the mourners, while Nubia took her place with the younger women, who followed the train at a distance, but who, according to custom, were very quiet.

As all seemed bound for one goal, Heinrich fell in line, the procession turning in the direction of the tree.

Arrived there, the women flung themselves upon the ground and again burst into blood-curdling cries for mercy:

«Grazie, Maria! grazie! grazie!»

This cry, accompanied by the most passionate gestures, was kept up for more than an hour, and ceased only when exhaustion ensued.

On this day Heinrich could accomplish nothing. The sun beat fiercely upon the rocks, the air was as hot as that of a desert, the horizon was dark.

In the afternoon Heinrich saw the clouds forming, and he joyfully hastened to the village to tell the good tidings, shouting, "A storm is coming; it will rain; it will be cooler!" How amazed he was when his remark called forth veritable horror. All rushed out of the houses, and amid passionate lamentation they sought the tree, fell upon their knees, and besought heaven for mercy. Nubia explained to Heinrich this outburst of grief and despair. Nothing was more dreaded

in the surrounding country, nothing was so dangerous, so disastrous, as a thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain during the heated period; for, the fields being then flooded, the sun shining upon them caused sultry exhalations to arise, developing fever germs, so that the men working in the fields contracted diseases which were oftentimes fatal.

Anxiously Heinrich watched the direction taken by the mass of clouds. Slowly they floated over the sky which for many months had been cloudless. Although the women stretched out their arms in passionate entreaty, invoking the aid of the Madonna, the fatal clouds passed in the direction of the Roman plains. Laden with electricity they hung over the earth like a monstrous black curtain. All rushed back to the hamlet, and, from the oldest to the youngest, loaded themselves down with wood and bundles of dry twigs. With their burdens they climbed to the top of the highest rock, where a large pyre was built, to be lighted as soon as it grew dark. When the flames leaped up, all stood around the fire and chanted dirges. The blaze could be seen in the Roman plain, and the men would know that their wives and daughters were praying for them.

The intense heat lasted almost a week. until, finally, neither the sky nor the earth could be seen; a dense fog separated Saracenesco from the nearest mountains and filled all the valleys.

Morning and evening the women assembled under the tree, raised their cries of woe, and prayed for mercy; every day. heedless of the heat, they carried twigs up to the rocks; every night the fires burned, although, owing to the mist, they were scarcely visible from the plain.

Faithfully Nubia and her mother shared the anxiety and work of the others. Accompanied by their guest, early in the morning, before sunrise, they descended into the thicket and helped to cut fagots. Had not the hearts of all been heavy, this proximity to his beloved would have been a time of bliss to Heinrich. He did not consider the consequences; he did not think of any means of escape from this passion; he had, moreover, no inclination to escape. Even his passionate yearning seemed to him happiness which he would have exchanged for no other. As yet he had not fulfilled Nubia's request; as yet he had not talked with her mother about

"poor Argante," postponing the interview from one day to the other, dreading to speak lest there might be the possibility of a betrothal between Nubia and Argante. The beautiful girl seemed to have no suspicion of the fact that the artist's passion for her was daily gaining more power over him.

As if she were of the same sex she lived beside the youth, always genial, always composed, more like an animated statue than a creature of flesh and blood. She was as familiar with the young man as if she were a part of his own being, and at the same time as unapproachable as if she were of another world.

Often Heinrich cut a refractory branch for the maidens and made a path through the thicket for them; still there was always time for him to rest under an oak or a chestnut-tree, and to fill his sketch-book with the fantastic figures of the workers. Ere a week had passed he had in his portfolio an entire collection of Nubiapictures. He did not, however, think of himself alone; in the early days of the week of anxiety he commenced the promised picture of the Virgin which was to be placed in its sanctuary under the tree. Of course Nubia was again the model. In a golden cloak, a halo about her head, she hovered above the women of Saracenesco, to whom, with smiling eyes and lips, she promised the granting of their requests. Notwithstanding, the good women were dissatisfied. How could that be the Virgin with the "Bambino !» The Child belonged with the Mother.

Therefore, Heinrich painted Mary-or Nubia - with the Child. With the new work he began to change the face of the Madonna, which under his hand assumed an unutterably sad, though severe, almost angry expression.

While the artist was dissatisfied with his work, the women, seeing the Child in the Divine Mother's arms, went into ecstacies, and Heinrich was not permitted to make any alterations. It was wreathed with garlands and borne in solemn procession from house to house, for every family insisted on receiving a visit from the Virgin.

Heinrich had never seen anything so touching as this procession of the poor, half-civilized people with their first holy picture. In every eye gleamed joy, confidence, and firm faith, as though the people would say: "We have now our holy

picture; we are now real Christians; now we shall be helped."

Every house had been tidied as much as possible for the festal occasion, the rooms were scrubbed, the floors strewn with green leaves, and on the table stood the scant victuals to be blessed by the Virgin. Attired in their very best, the occupants advanced to meet their heavenly visitor. Heinrich experienced a peculiar sensation on seeing Nubia at the head of the procession — a solemn expression upon her face.

When the Virgin had entered every cottage, she was borne to the summit, from which she was shown her new kingdom, over which she was henceforth to rule- -a brown, stony desert! Then the picture was carried down to the tree, to the trunk of which it was attached. The women and girls, forming a semicircle around it, sang a verse, saying:

Scarcely had

"This will please her!" And it did please her. they acquired their picture at Saracenesco than the Virgin did wonders for the place; scarcely had the Holy Mother appeared in person under the branches than the heat moderated, a strong north wind drove out the sirocco and cooler days came. It was even attributed to the picture that the well did not dry up that summer. The worthy women praised the quality of the water, and soon made the wonderful discovery that since the Madonna's celestial face was reflected in the spring the water possessed a certain curative power for all diseases of the body and mind. In a word, since the half-heathenish progeny of the old Saracens had their picture, they began to be zealous Christians.

Heinrich visited the tree more frequently still; he arranged a place under the green cupola for his work; nor was he disturbed by the fact that his airy studio was shared by half the population of Saracenesco. As was their custom, the women washed at the reservoir, the children played around his easel, and when the girls had filled their jugs and had nothing else to do they brought their spindles to the tree, in order to chat with him. He was satisfied with this, for one came with the others.

Heinrich had plenty of models under the tree for a large painting representing "The Malaria." This picture was to present life-sized figures of the women of Saracenesco standing on the rocky summit and praying for their husbands working in the plains below. It was a composition

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