The Argosy — page 294: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A freak of Fortune. 277 “What is it all about, Betta?” said I. ‘‘ Why are you cleaning up thus on a Tuesday ?” ‘Ah, signora mia,” she replied, ‘‘do you not know that angels will tread this road to-day ? ” ‘“‘ Angels, Betta !” I exclaimed. ‘Yes, Holy Father himself is coming, and the angels in his train,” ‘““ Nonsense!” said I, a little angry, suddenly recalling the conver- sation with Monsignor Oliver. I felt that, if it were so, I should have been notified, but at the same time remembered that Holy Father dearly loved to take his children by surprise. The next moment, looking in at the open door of the bakehouse, I saw Nanna, the baker’s wife, operating with a pair of curling-irons on the head of her little Susetta. At sight of me, out she rushed with the curling-irons in her hand, exclaiming: “‘Ah, Signora Giuha, I was just going to run down to ask you-—can you give me some blue ribbon for Susetta’s hair?” ‘And for what do you want blue ribbon for Susetta’s hair?” asked I, angrily. | ‘“‘Madonna Beatissima !” exclaimed she, ‘‘and you not heard the wondrous news! His Holiness condescends to visit Monte del Caccia this blessed morning, and we shall have a procession, My little Susetta, who was such a heavenly Mary Magdalene on Ascension Day, will appear in the same character, and Lalla’s Alfonso will go as Giovanni Battisto: the farmacista’s wife has sent her again the beauti- ful white lambskin tippet.” ‘Who told you, Nanna, that Holy Father wascoming? There must be some mistake.” | ‘Lalla told me,” returned Nanna. ‘‘There’s no mistake, signora mea, for Lalla had it from the Sagrestano.” ) ““T will inquire from the Arciprete himself,” I said, feeling no little annoyed that, if it really were so, I was the last person to hear of it. Yet I was sorely puzzled. At every step I advanced the general excitement and expectation was evident. White sheets, and red, yellow, and blue curtains and table-cloths were being hung out of the upper windows. ‘There was a greater concourse round the fountain than ever ; women and girls fetching water, and snatching away their filled concas as if they had no time to talk; and yet there was a buzz of voices everywhere. With a proud but somewhat uncomfortable sense of ignoring the truth of this strange rumour, I entered the church, where, I grant, my devotions were a little disturbed when I found myself the only worshipper. Not even blind Girolamo was there, whose boast it was that never for halfa century had he missed a single holy office, while the Arciprete himself, very red in the face, and half choked with asthma, hurried through the service, and was gone before I could get’a word with him. COnniclooo (CO)