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fra felice’s testament
25 i
might have thought that Father Succi lay ill in the
chancel of his church, awaiting his last hour.
The blind sat round him, rocking their bodies to
and fro in silent grief. There were the two women
from the hotel, Donna Pepa and Donna Tura, there
was old mother Saredda, who ate the bread of
charity at the house of Syndic Voltaro, there were
blind beggars and blind singers, blind of all ages and
conditions. All the blind of Diamante were there,
and in Diamante there are a great many who will
never more behold the sunlight.
All these sat for the most part silent, but now and
then one of them would burst out into a
heart-rend-ing cry. Now one, now another, would grope his
way to the monk, Father Succi, and throw himself,
loudly weeping, upon him.
And the rector and Father Rossi from the
Franciscan monastery went about seeking to comfort the
distressed, making it seem still more like a
deathbed.
Donna Elisa became deeply affected. Ah, how
often had she not seen these people happy in their
court, and to think that she now should find them in
such dire misery! They had drawn tears from her
eyes when they sang dirges over her husband,
Sig-nor Antonelli, and over her brother, Don Ferrante.
Old Mother Saredda began speaking with Donna
Elisa.
" I knew of nothing, when I came, Donna Elisa,"
said the old woman. " I left my dog outside on the
step and entered through the church door. I
stretched out my arm to push aside the portiere!
but the portiere was gone. I put my foot down, as
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