Little Novels of Italy | Page 9

them in through a
cranny. "Follow me, mistresses, and God give good ending to this
adventure," he prayed, as he slippered up the court.
Vanna, blank and smiling, La Testolina with wandering, fearful eyes,
followed.
They found the prior sitting well back in his ebony chair and in
meditation, his chin buried in his hand. Behind him (and behind his
back his hands) was Fra Corinto the pittanciar, pockmarked, thin, and
mortified. He looked the prior's reproach, and was.
"Now, women," said the prior, testily--a fat and flabby old man with a
sour mouth--"now, women, which of you is at the bottom of this
accursed business? Where is the baby? Let me judge for myself."

La Testolina, protesting her remarkable innocence by every quiver of
her head, edged Vanna to the front. Vanna stood up, straight as a candle,
and unveiled her bosom.
"Do you want to see my little son, reverend prior?" she said. "Behold
him here (Eccololì)." She held him out proudly in her arms, as if he
were monstrance and she priest.
Now whether it was that motherhood had fired a comely girl with the
beautiful seriousness of a woman, so that she was transfigured before
him; or whether some chance passage of the crossing lights played
tricks with his vision--which it was, or whether it was both, I know not.
He saw, or thought he saw, a tall, smiling lady, hooded in blue over
white, holding up a child; he saw, or thought for a moment that he saw,
the Image of all Mothers displaying the Image of all Sons. His fingers
pattered over his scapular. "Eh, my Lady the Virgin! What dost thou
here, glorifying this place?" As soon as he had said it he might have
known that he was a fool; but Vanna's large grey eyes loomed upon
him to swallow him up, her colour of faint rose glowed over him and
throbbed. Vera incessu patuit dea! "By her presence ye shall judge
her," quoth the prior to himself, and hid his eyes.
There was a hush upon all the group in the chamber, during which you
could have heard afar off the nasal discords of the brethren in choir
droning through an office. No one spoke. The prior's lips moved at his
prayers; Fra Corinto looked frowningly before him; La Testolina was
fidgety to speak, but dared not; Vanna, her long form like a ripple of
moonlight in the dusk, cooed under her voice to the baby; he,
unheeding cause of so much strife in high places, held out his pair of
puckered hands and crowed to the company. So with their thoughts: the
prior thought he had seen the Holy Virgin; Fra Corinto thought the
prior an old fool; La Testolina hoped his reverence had not the colic;
and Vanna thought of nothing at all.
Fra Corinto it was (looking not for Madonna in a baggage), who, by
discreetly coughing, brought his master back to his senses. The prior
cleared his throat once or twice, looked at the young woman, and felt
quite himself. Ridiculous what tricks a flicker of sunlight will play on

the wisest of men!
"Monna Vanna," said he, "I have not brought you here to judge
between you and my brother Battista, now at discipline in his cell. The
flesh, which he should have tamed, has raised, it appears, a bruised
head for one last spite. My brother was bitten, and my brother fell into
sin. Whether, as of old, the tempter was the woman, it is sure that, as of
old, the eater was a man. I will not condemn you unheard, lest I incur
reproach in my turn. But our order is in peril; the enemy is abroad, with
Envy, Hatred, and Malice barking on their leashes. What can the poor
sheep do but scatter before the wolves? Fra Battista, his penance duly
done, must leave Verona; and you, my sister, must do penance, that
God be not mocked, nor the Veronese upraised to mock Him."
Of this solemn appeal, Vanna, to all seeming, understood not one word.
True, she blushed a little, but that was because a prior was talking to
her: her honest grey eyes were quite untroubled, her smile as tender as
ever. She spoke as one deprecating temerity--that she should speak at
all to so great a man--and by no means any judgment.
"I am only a poor girl, reverend prior," said she, "most ignorant and
thick-witted. Pray, what have I and my baby to do with these high
matters of Fra Battista's error?"
The prior grew angry. "Tush, my woman," he grunted, "I beg you to
drop the artless. It is out of place here. Let me look at the youngster."
"Yes, yes, mistress, let us see the child," said Fra Corinto,