Note: Translator Pauline Bancroft Flach died in 1966, less than 70 years ago. Therefore, this work is protected by copyright, restricting your legal rights to reproduce it. However, you are welcome to view it on screen, as you do now. Read more about copyright.
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THE BELLS OF SAN PASQUALE ’ 81
She stood silent a moment. She was thinking
what she could say to frighten him.
“ If I am now your wife, do you know why it is ? ”
— ” Oh yes.” — “ Do you also know what the priest
promised me?” — “That is his affair, but I do what
I can.” — “You have heard, perhaps, that I broke
with all my friends in Catania when I heard that
my father had sought help from them and had not
got it.” — “I know it.” — “And that I came here to
Diamante that he might escape from seeing them
and being ashamed?” — “They will not be coming
to the brotherhood.” — “When you know all this,
are you not afraid to do anything against my father ?”
— ” Afraid ? I am not afraid of my wife.”
“ Have I not made you happy ?” she asked. —
“Yes, of course,” he answered indifferently. —
“ Have you not enjoyed singing to me ? Have you
not liked me to have considered you the most
generous man in Sicily? Have you not been glad
that I was happy in the old palace ? Why should it
all come to an end ?”
He laid his hand on her shoulder and warned her.
“ Remember that you are not married to a fine
gentleman from the Via Etnea!” — “ Oh, no!” — “ Up here
on the mountain the ways are different. Here wives
obey their husbands. And we do not care for fair
words. But if we want them we know how to get
them.”
She was frightened when he spoke so. In a
moment she was on her knees before him. It was
dark, but enough light came from the other rooms
for him to see her eyes. In burning prayer, glorious
as stars, they were fixed on him.
“ Be merciful! You do not know how much I love
6
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