Page:The International - Volume 1.djvu/162

152 said for human souls. What souls? The millions that, like them, were perishing from misery and want. Archangelo would lie upon the stone steps like one dead; Phenicia, with dilated eyes and deadly pallor, looked like an angel upon some sarcophagus; and Venera, digging her nails into the ground, relapsed into a silence so woful that her worst cursing would have been a relief.

At sight of this great suffering, Nunziata—herself almost as poor as they—wept as though her blood had been changed to tears. Without ceasing, she prayed to the saints in Paradise, and daily looked for an answer to her prayers.

One day it seemed that the answer had come. Archangelo received a legal document, which, with the aid of the letter carrier, he succeeded in making out. The lawyer had not promised in vain ; this time the suit was really decided and in favor of the suffering family. For many a long day the palace of Corvejo had not heard such weeping for joy, such exclamations of triumph. Archangelo hurried to the syndic, but soon returned, pale and in despair. Don Agostino had persuaded the council to make another appeal, thus in definitely delaying the payment of the money. The family was so crushed by the news, that no one uttered a word. Venera resigned herself to her fate. "We shall die of starvation," she quietly said, and closed her eyes. During the pause that followed, no sound was heard save the rustling of the wind, as it played with the ragged tapestries on the walls. The old goddess crowned with flowers smiled upon them from the ceiling; and the Christ on the cross between the two windows seemed to bleed anew, the bunch of dark red pinks that Phenicia had laid that morning at his feet looking like drops of blood from his wounded side. Venera raised her eyes to him with a dumb reproach. Had not an English woman once offered her a handful of liras for that crucifix, and she had not sold it?

"Am I a Judas, that I should sell my Savior?" she exclaimed; and, behold, this was the reward for her loyalty! Venera forgot that she had not sold that pale Christ partly because she was afraid that with him luck would depart from her dwelling, and partly because she feared she might sell him too cheap. She did not recollect that later she herself had gone to the hotel "Bella Veduta" trying to find a purchaser for that very Christ, and that he still hung between the two windows of the palace of Corvejo simply because no tourist had happened to buy him.

But if her eyes were raised to him in reproach, other eyes, far more beautiful, were at that moment fixed upon him in adoration and hope. They were the eyes of Phenicia. Suddenly she arose, quietly and resolutely—indeed, almost proudly, like one who knows he is humbling him self,—but from love to others; who offers a great sacrifice,—but from a sense of duty.

"There is one hope left," she said, when all raised their eyes to her in curiosity and surprise." I will go to Marie—she is now a mother—nurses her babe. She cannot be inhuman." And while she was slowly descending the stairs into the court, the thought came to her that she had never been blessed with a child, although her heart longed for one and was overflowing with maternal tenderness.

Marie was sitting upon the balcony, beneath heavy vines that almost covered the roof of the small house, nursing her completely naked child. Don Agostino was seated in the darkened room behind her, talking with the lame tailor, Marie's husband, about the high price of provisions. The conversation was cut short by the entrance of Phenicia, at whom they all gazed in surprise. Marie's face became clouded with an ugly frown, as she asked sharply: "What do you want here?"

Phenicia was as pale as a marble statue: she bowed her head as one about to enter a low door, and said almost in a whisper:

"Marie, God has been very good to you," and the downcast eyes were fixed with tenderness upon the strong, healthy infant that looked up and smiled at her. Marie quickly covered her child, as though