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126 228 . the miracles of antichrist
fairy-tale. She is positive that her own compassion,
or pity, or love could not have prevailed upon her to
go down into the robber’s den at night had not a
strange power led her. She has been wholly beside
herself.
While Donna Micaela is down in the robbers cave,
old Caterina sits at her window and waits for Falco.
She has yielded almost without entreaty.
" He shall be free to pass into the church," she
says. " I have been expecting him for twenty years,
yet he shall be free to pass into the church."
Soon Falco comes with Donna Micaela’s hand in
his Passafiore and Biagio follow him. Falco walks
bent; it is seen that he is old and weak. He alone
enters the church, the others remain outside.
The aged Caterina has seen him quite distinctly
yet she has not moved. She sits silent all the time.
Falco is in the church. Her niece, who lives with
her, believes that she is praying and thanking God
that she has been able to overcome her thirst for
vengeance.
At length Caterina requests her to open the
window. " I wish to see if he still has the snake shadow,"
she says. But she is kind and gentle.
"Take the gun, if you wish," she says. And the
niece moves the gun over to the other side of the
table.
At last Falco comes out of the church. The
moonlight falls directly in his face, and Caterina
sees that he is unlike the Falco she remembered.
The old surliness and pride are no longer visible in
his features. He comes bowed and broken. He
almost fills her with pity.
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