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sirocco
133
wards the last of October, and already Donna Micaela
began to picture to herself the day when the
insurrection would break out. She saw the famished people
come rushing along the street. They would plunder
the stores, and they would plunder the houses of the
few rich people in the city. Outside the summer
palace the wild throng would stop and climb up to
the balconies and casement windows. " Out with the
old Alagona jewels, out with Don Ferrante’s
millions ! " The summer palace was their dream ! They
believed it was as full of gold as a fairy palace.
But when they found nothing, they would put the
dagger to her throat, that she might deliver to them
treasures she had never possessed, and she would be
murdered by the ravenous masses.
Why couldn’t the great landholders remain at
home ? Why should they exasperate the poor by
living in grand style in Rome and Paris ? One would
not feel so bitter towards them if they stayed at
home ; one would not swear so solemnly to kill all
the rich when the time came.
Donna Micaela only wished she could have fled to
one of these great cities. But both her father and
Don Ferrante fell ill that autumn, and for their sakes
she was obliged to remain where she was. And she
knew that she should be killed as a peace-offering
for the transgressions of the rich against the poor.
For many years misfortunes had gathered over
Sicily, and now they could no longer be kept back.
Now Etna itself began to threaten with an eruption.
At night the smoke was fiery red, and the rumbling
was heard all the way to Diamante. All would come
to an end. All would be destroyed.
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