the complete writings-2-第57章

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。　　At　least　the　good　Fiammetta　thought　so；　when　she　met　him　at　church；　though　I　feel　sure　she　did　not　allow　even　his　handsome　figure　to　come　between　her　and　the　Virgin。　　At　any　rate；　there　can　be　no　doubt　of　her　sentiments　after　church；　when　she　and　her　mother　used　to　walk　with　him　along　the　winding　Massa　road　above　the　sea；　and　stroll　down　to　the　shore　to　sit　on　the　greensward　over　the　Temple　of　Hercules；　or　the　Roman　Baths；　or　the　remains　of　the　villa　of　C。　Fulvius　Cunctatus　Cocles；　or　whatever　those　ruins　subterranean　are；　there　on　the　Capo　di　Sorrento。　　Of　course；　this　is　mere　conjecture　of　mine。　　They　may　have　gone　on　the　hills　behind　the　town　instead；　or　they　may　have　stood　leaning　over　the　garden…wall　of　her　mother's　little　villa；　looking　at　the　passers…by　in　the　deep　lane；　thinking　about　nothing　in　the　world；　and　talking　about　it　all　the　sunny　afternoon；　until　Ischia　was　purple　with　the　last　light；　and　the　olive　terraces　behind　them　began　to　lose　their　gray　bloom。　　All　I　do　know　is；　that　they　were　in　love；　blossoming　out　in　it　as　the　almond…trees　do　here　in　February；　and　that　all　the　town　knew　it；　and　saw　a　wedding　in　the　future；　just　as　plain　as　you　can　see　Capri　from　the　heights　above　the　town。

It　was　at　this　time　that　the　wonderful　counterpane　began　to　grow；　to　the　continual　astonishment　of　Giuseppe；　to　whom　it　seemed　a　marvel　of　skill　and　patience；　and　who　saw　what　love　and　sweet　hope　Fiammetta　was　knitting　into　it　with　her　deft　fingers。　　I　declare；　as　I　think　of　it；　the　white　cotton　spread　out　on　her　knees；　in　such　contrast　to　the　rich　olive　of　her　complexion　and　her　black　shiny　hair；　while　she　knits　away　so　merrily；　glancing　up　occasionally　with　those　liquid；　laughing　eyes　to　Giuseppe；　who　is　watching　her　as　if　she　were　an　angel　right　out　of　the　blue　sky；　I　am　tempted　not　to　tell　this　story　further；　but　to　leave　the　happy　two　there　at　the　open　gate　of　life；　and　to　believe　that　they　entered　in。

This　was　about　the　time　of　the　change　of　government；　after　this　region　had　come　to　be　a　part　of　the　Kingdom　of　Italy。　　After　the　first　excitement　was　over；　and　the　simple　people　found　they　were　not　all　made　rich；　nor　raised　to　a　condition　in　which　they　could　live　without　work；　there　began　to　be　some　dissatisfaction。　　Why　the　convents　need　have　been　suppressed；　and　especially　the　poor　nuns　packed　off；　they　couldn't　see；　and　then　the　taxes　were　heavier　than　ever　before；　instead　of　being　supported　by　the　government；　they　had　to　support　it；　and；　worst　of　all；　the　able　young　fellows　must　still　go　for　soldiers。　　Just　as　one　was　learning　his　trade；　or　perhaps　had　acquired　it；　and　was　ready　to　earn　his　living　and　begin　to　make　a　home　for　his　wife；　he　must　pass　the　three　best　years　of　his　life　in　the　army。　　The　conscription　was　relentless。

The　time　came　to　Giuseppe；　as　it　did　to　the　others。　　I　never　heard　but　he　was　brave　enough；　there　was　no　storm　on　the　Mediterranean　that　he　dare　not　face　in　his　little　boat；　and　he　would　not　have　objected　to　a　campaign　with　the　red　shirts　of　Garibaldi。　　But　to　be　torn　away　from　his　occupations　by　which　he　was　daily　laying　aside　a　little　for　himself　and　Fiammetta；　and　to　leave　her　for　three　years；that　seemed　dreadful　to　him。　　Three　years　is　a　longtime；　and　though　he　had　no　doubt　of　the　pretty　Fiammetta；　yet　women　are　women；　said　the　shrewd　fellow　to　himself；　and　who　knows　what　might　happen；　if　a　gallant　came　along　who　could　read　and　write；　as　Fiammetta　could；　and；　besides；　could　play　the　guitar？

The　result　was；　that　Giuseppe　did　not　appear　at　the　mustering…office　on　the　day　set；　and；　when　the　file　of　soldiers　came　for　him；　he　was　nowhere　to　be　found。　　He　had　fled　to　the　mountains。　　I　scarcely　know　what　his　plan　was；　but　he　probably　trusted　to　some　good　luck　to　escape　the　conscription　altogether；　if　he　could　shun　it　now；　and；　at　least；　I　know　that　he　had　many　comrades　who　did　the　same；　so　that　at　times　the　mountains　were　full　of　young　fellows　who　were　lurking　in　them　to　escape　the　soldiers。　　And　they　fared　very　roughly　usually；　and　sometimes　nearly　perished　from　hunger；　for　though　the　sympathies　of　the　peasants　were　undoubtedly　with　the　quasi…outlaws　rather　than　with　the　carbineers；　yet　the　latter　were　at　every　hamlet　in　the　hills；　and　liable　to　visit　every　hut；　so　that　any　relief　extended　to　the　fugitives　was　attended　with　great　danger；　and；　besides；　the　hunted　men　did　not　dare　to　venture　from　their　retreats。　　Thus　outlawed　and　driven　to　desperation　by　hunger；　these　fugitives；　whom　nobody　can　defend　for　running　away　from　their　duties　as　citizens；　became　brigands。　　A　cynical　German；　who　was　taken　by　them　some　years　ago　on　the　road　to　Castellamare；　a　few　miles　above　here；　and　held　for　ransom；　declared　that　they　were　the　most　honest　fellows　he　had　seen　in　Italy；　but　I　never　could　see　that　he　intended　the　remark　as　any　compliment　to　them。　　It　is　certain　that　the　inhabitants　of　all　these　towns　held　very　loose　ideas　on　the　subject　of　brigandage：　the　poor　fellows；　they　used　to　say；　only　robbed　because　they　were　hungry；　and　they　must　live　somehow。

What　Fiammetta　thought；　down　in　her　heart；　is　not　told：　but　I　presume　she　shared　the　feelings　of　those　about　her　concerning　the　brigands；　and；　when　she　heard　that　Giuseppe　had　joined　them；　was　more　anxious　for　the　safety　of　his　body　than　of　his　soul；　though　I　warrant　she　did　not　forget　either；　in　her　prayers　to　the　Virgin　and　St。　Antonino。　And　yet　those　must　have　been　days；　weeks；　months；　of　terrible　anxiety　to　the　poor　child；　and　if　she　worked　away　at　the　counterpane；　netting　in　that　elaborate　border；　as　I　have　no　doubt　she　did；　it　must　have　been　with　a　sad　heart　and　doubtful　fingers。　　I　think　that　one　of　the　psychological　sensitives　could　distinguish　the　parts　of　the　bedspread　that　were　knit　in　the　sunny　days　from　those　knit　in　the　long　hours　of　care　and　deepening　anxiety。

It　was　rarely　that　she　received　any　message　from　him　and　it　was　then　only　verbal　and　of　the　briefest；　he　was　in　the　mountains　above　Amalfi；　one　day　he　had　come　so　far　round　as　the　top　of　the　Great　St。　Angelo；　from　which　he　could　look　down　upon　the　piano　of　Sorrento；　where　the　little　Fiammetta　was；　or　he　had　been　on　the　hills　near　Salerno；　hunted　and　hungry；　or　his　company　had　descended　upon　some　travelers　going　to　Paestum；　made　a　successful　haul；　and　escaped　into　the　steep　mountains　beyond。　　He　didn't　intend　to　become　a　regular　bandit；　not　at　all。　　He　hoped　that　something　might　happen　so　that　he　could　steal　back　into　Sorrento；　unmarked　by　the　government；　or；　at　least；　that　he　could　escape　away　to　some　other　country　or　island；　where　Fiammetta　could　join　him。　　Did　she　love　him　yet；　as　in　the　old　happy　days？　　As　for　him；　she　was　now　everything　to　him；　and　he　would　willingly　serve　three　or　thirty　years　in　the　army；　if　the　government　could　forget　he　had　been　a　brigand；　and　permit　him　to　have　a　little　home　with　Fiammetta　at　the　end　of　the　probation。　　There　was　not　much　comfort　in　all　this；　but　the　simple　fellow　could　not　send　anything　more　cheerful；　and　I　think　it　used　to　feed　the　little　maiden's　heart　to　hear　from　him；　even　in　this　downcast　mood；　for　his　love　for　her　was　a　dear　certainty；　and　his　absence　and　wild　life　did　not　dim　it。

My　informant　does　not　know　how　long　this　painful　life　went　on；　nor　does　it　matter　much。　　There　came　a　day　when　the　government　was　shamed　into　new　vigor　against　the　brigands。　　Some　English　people　of　consequence　（the　German　of　whom　I　have　spoken　was　with　them）　had　been　captured；　and　it　had　cost　them　a　heavy　ransom。　　The　number　of　the　carbineers　was　quadrupled　in　the　infested　districts；　soldiers　penetrated　the　fastnesses　of　the　hills；　there　were　daily　fights　with　the　banditti；　and；　to　show　that　this　was　no　sham；　some　of　them　were　actually　shot；　and　others　were　taken　and　thrown　into　prison。　　Among　those　who　were　not　afraid　to　stand　and　fight；　and　who　would　not　be　captured；　was　our　Giuseppe。　　One　day　the　Italia　newspaper　of　Naples　had　an　account　of　a　fight　with　brigands；　and　in　the　list　of　those　who　fell　was　the　name　of　Giuseppe…；　of　Sorrento；　shot　through　the　head；　as　he　ought　to　have　been；　and　buried　without　funeral　among　the　rocks。

This　was　all。　　But　when　the　news　was　read　in　the　little　post　office　in　Sorrento；　it　seemed　a　great　deal　more　than　it　does　as