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i so the miracles of* antichrist
red anemones. And between these decorated houses
rolled the great stream of people. It was not the
inhabitants of Diamante alone, who celebrated San
Sebastiano. From all parts of Etna came yellow,
gorgeously mounted and painted traps, drawn by
horses in ornamented harness and loaded with people.
The sick and beggars and blind singers also came
in great numbers.
So many people were come, that it was a marvel
how all could be accommodated within the city walls.
There were people on the street, people in the
windows, people on the balconies. On the high stone
steps sat people, and the shops were full of them. The
large street-doors were thrown wide open, and in the
entries chairs were placed in a semicircle as at a
theater. There sat the host and hostess and guests
watching the passers-by. Everywhere through the whole
street there rose an intoxicating clamor. It was not
enough that the people talked and laughed. There
were also organ-grinders whose organs were of
immense size. There were street-singers, and there
were men and women, who recited Tasso in shrill,
cracked voices. There were all sorts of heralds, from
all the churches came peals of music and at the
market place, the city band played, so that it could be
heard all over Diamante.
This merry clamor and the scent of flowers and
fluttering of flags outside Donna Micaela’s windows
had power to rouse her from her stupor. She rose
as if life had summoned her. " I do not wish to die,"
she said to herself, " I will try to live."
She took her father’s arm and went out on the
street. She hoped that the life out there would in-
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