The Argosy — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

A Freak of Fortune. 279 Enrico, and twenty other men and women, who refused to go that morning to the vineyard, saying they would stay for the benediction. Maladetto !— But his wife, frightened ata curse when the subject was Holy Father’s benediction, and knowing as well as everybody else that Zuccone’s imprecations, when they once began, were the most diabolical in the village, stopped her ears; saying, as she did so, ‘‘ Why should they forfeit paradiso for our poor vineyard?” And the husband went out to utter his curses elsewhere. > ied Pretty Pépina cried, and Belisario, her only brother, stalked into the house, rebellion in the very sound of his footsteps. He had met his father in the court, who had ordered him off to work, and he was come in to put his best things on, and to make ready for whatever might occur. | * And is itnot incommoda,” said the wife, ‘‘ that my best sheets are in bucato (in lye). I have not one out if Holy Father comes; and he’s sure to come, just because they are in bucato!” “Perhaps Signor Zuccone is right,” rephed I. ‘It may be only an idle report. The Arciprete has heard not a word of it.” ‘‘Mamma mia! stupido !” replied the padrona, indignantly. ‘“‘ What a misfortune that Zuccone would build the villa out of the town, so that we never hear any news. The charcoal-burner Salvini and his fellows brought word last night, returning from Rome with their mules by way of Castel Gondolfo. They had it from one of the Pontifical grooms, Ernesto, from Monte del Caccia. He was on the look-out for them, quite white in the face, and perspiration in big drops on his forehead. He implored them, in the name of Madonna and all the saints, to tell the Arciprete and ali the pious of Monte del Caccia that his Holiness, who dearly loves a surprise, had ordered his coach and horses for this morning, to take him unexpectedly to the Passionists of Sopra Monte, passing through Monte del Caccia, of course—for how else could he go, signora? And though he might, Ernesto said, endanger his own soul by betraying the secrets of his Holiness, yet, for the credit of his native place, he could not keep silence. Sohe bade Salvini tell every- body to be ready, for that Holy Father was coming as sure as to- morrow is the day of Santa Eugenia. And though Salvini may be a liar, Signora, and never go to confession, yet Ernesto has been half a saint from his boyhood, and might have been one of the Redentore Frati, _ but that Monsignor Zoppelli took him into the stables of his Holiness.” Here, however, the padrona was interrupted in her voluble talk by the appearance both of Zuccone and the Arciprete at the same moment, coming from different directions; the latter looking hot and very much excited, his snuff-box in one hand, and his large blue cotton pocket-handkerchief in the other. | “ The very people I wanted to see,” said he. “I’m in the greates; perplexity. The whole town is in revolt: the lowest, most ignorant COnniicooolks (CO)