Page:In Maremma, by Ouida (vol 1).djvu/265

 shade from leaf or blade of reed. She met no living thing. She uncovered the entrance of the tomb and descended the steps into it; and the mule, used to the stone stairs that led to his own stable, was with little trouble induced to follow. She unloaded the things off his back and laid them down; she took her sickle and went up into the air and cut thistles and dry grass for him, and filled a stoup of water at the half-dried pool, and stabled him there in as much comfort as she could. Then she gathered sticks together, and lit a fire on the stones of the entranceplace, and set a little soup-pot on to boil with some herbs and beans and fish in it that she had brought, with some rough bread, to make her midday meal.

The food seemed to choke her, but she ate, being young and in health, so that hunger came to her despite her sorrow.

When she had eaten she laid her bedclothes on the stone couch that had served for the last sleep of the Etruscan Lucumo, and sat down in the soft grey gloom of the twilit place, sheltered from the glare and scorch of day, and said to herself, 'my home is here.'

Santa Tarsilla was no more her home.