CHAPTER VI. THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
As soon as the attorney had started on his way homewards, carefully leading his old horse Moro by the bridle down the first steep bit from the house of Bella Luce to the bottom of the valley, Farmer Vanni pulled off his jacket and returned to his work of dressing the vines in the home vineyard, without saying a word to any one of the family of the important business that had been determined on. He knew, however, that his wife would hear it all from the priest; but was pretty sure that it would not be mentioned by either of them to Giulia before he should himself communicate the tidings to her. He pondered a little on the question, how and when he should break the news to his son; and eventually determined to say nothing at all to him specially on the subject;—to mention it to Giulia in his presence, treating the matter as if it was one which very little concerned Beppo in any way.
Don Evandro, when the farmer and the attorney went out together, passed from the kitchen into the loggia, where he found la sposa, as he thought he should, quietly plying her distaff and spindle, seated on the squared trunk of a chestnut-tree, which had done duty for a bench in the loggia for more than one generation.
“Signor Sandro came up here to make a proposal which seems to me to have much good sense in it,” said the priest, sitting down by the side of Dame Anunta, and offering her a pinch of snuff as he spoke.
“A proposal, your reverence? And what was that?”
“Why, that this troublesome, headstrong girl, Giulia, should be sent to service in Fano, to a place he has found for her. Of course he has his own object to serve.”
“To service! Will Vanni consent to that? None of the Vannis ever did go to service!”
“He has consented. The lawyer made it out that it was not altogether a regular servant’s place; and in speaking to Vanni, you must not call it so, mind.”
“He has consented?”
“Yes! of course he did! It is a very good thing. What is the use of letting those two go on in the house together? The only way is to part them! Don’t you see?”
“I don’t think she gives him any encouragement!”
“Bah—h!” cried the priest, shrugging his shoulders and drawing out the expletive into an expression of the most utterly contemptuous unbelief. “She has got eyes in her head! I tell you, the only way is to separate them.”
“Well, I am sure, if your reverence thinks so! But I am afraid he won’t forget her a bit the more! He isn’t of the sort that forgets. The Vannis are all terrible holders-on to anything they once lay hold of,—terrible!”
“Forget! Well, perhaps his remembering may serve our purpose equally well! Is there no way of falling out with a lover, Signora Vanni, besides forgetting him? Don’t you see?”
“I don’t see what is to serve, unless we can get him to put the girl clean out of his head. I wish to Heaven she had never darkened these doors; I do with all my heart!”
“Ah! It’s too late in the day to wish that now! But, don’t you see what will happen? Look at that girl! You don’t see such a girl every day! Do you think the men won’t come round her down in the city, there, like the flies come to the sugar! And she with her spirit and giddy laughing ways, and eighteen years! You don’t think she is going to mope and pine, and think of nothing but Beppo! And he need not fancy anything of the kind.”
“I am quite sure the hussy will see nobody so well worth thinking of!” said the mother.
“That’s very likely. But she will think of what’s under her eyes! The fellows will come round her! She can’t help herself, if she would! Then what follows? Beppo will be jealous—angry—furious! He will hear all her goings on! Of course he will; it will be our own fault if he does not! And it’s odd to me if we can’t bring him to the point of marrying the first girl ready to have him!”
“But is Lisa Bartoldi ready to have him!” asked Signora Anunta.
“That will be Signor Sandro’s business to see to. A girl is always more easy to manage than a boy, in these cases. And such a girl as Lisa Bartoldi! I have seen her. There will be no difficulty with her. Signor Sandro has only got to say that it is what he chooses!”
“You think so!”
“Altro! no doubt of it. So you see, signora mia, this plan of sending la Giulia to the city may serve our turn, even if we don’t persuade Signor Beppo to forget all about her,” said the priest looking, at her with a smile that was half a sneer.
“I hope it may; and I’ve no manner of doubt that your reverence knows what is best and wisest,” said the farmer’s wife, submissively. “Had I better tell Giulia that she is to go?”
“I think not. No doubt Signor Vanni will speak of it this evening. Perhaps you had better leave it to him to mention it.”
“Yes. I think I should like that best. Giulia is a good girl, poor thing, and submissive enough, mostly; but now and then she will break out, and then there is no speaking to her. I declare I have shaken in my shoes as I stood up to her, before now, though you would not think it.”
The priest smiled a peculiar smile, and took a pinch of snuff.
“It comes like a flash of lightning with her,” continued Signora Vanni, busily twirling away at her spindle as she talked, “and it’s all over in a minute; and then she runs away and shuts herself into her room. Yes, I should like best that Vanni should tell her himself. Is it fixed when she is to go to Fano?”
“Signor Vanni has promised the attorney to take her himself next Sunday, if he hears nothing from him to the contrary,” replied the priest, quietly.
“Next Sunday! And this is Thursday! Mercy upon us! that’s very sudden! And her things! The poor girl should be sent decent, you know.