Page:In Maremma, by Ouida (vol 1).djvu/249

 would have dragged her out, and made her understand that she was homeless.

All the day following she kept her door, and her shutters, barred, and would see no living creature. Towards evening the priest of the parish came; a little bibulous and garrulous, not clever nor wise, but simple of spirit, and honest and cheerful.

She would not open to him until he said that he brought her a message from the dead. Then she let him enter, shutting the door again on the peering faces of Andreino and some women gathered out there in the hot air.

The priest spoke kindly to her, a little frightened at her looks; she was quite silent, and her eyes were dry though their lids were swollen and very weary.

He told her that the dead woman had left with him the knowledge of the precise spot where her little treasure was hidden, and he counted the stones of the paved floor from right to left, and found the one beneath which was the pitcher containing the coins, and he raised it up, and took the pitcher out, and read to her the words of bequest leaving to her the money, the furniture, the hardware, the mule, all in a