Romola . dition to the anx-ieties that already weighed upon her? Surely awife was permitted to desire ignorance of a hus-bands wrong-doing, since she alone must not pro-test and warn men against him. But that thoughtstirred too many intricate fibres of feeling to bepursued now in her weariness. It was a time torejoice, since help had come to Florence; and sheturned into the court to tell the good news to herpatients on their straw beds. She closed the door after her, lest the bellsshould drown her voice, and then throwing theblack drapery from her head, that the womenmight see her better, she
Romola . dition to the anx-ieties that already weighed upon her? Surely awife was permitted to desire ignorance of a hus-bands wrong-doing, since she alone must not pro-test and warn men against him. But that thoughtstirred too many intricate fibres of feeling to bepursued now in her weariness. It was a time torejoice, since help had come to Florence; and sheturned into the court to tell the good news to herpatients on their straw beds. She closed the door after her, lest the bellsshould drown her voice, and then throwing theblack drapery from her head, that the womenmight see her better, she stood in the midst andtold them that corn was coming, and that the bellswere ringing for gladness at the news. They allsat up to listen, while the children trotted orcrawled towards lier, and pulled her black skirts,as if they were impatient at being all that longway off her face. She yielded to them, weary asshe was, and sat down on the straw, while thelittle pale things peeped into her basket and pulled. THE VISIBLE MADONNA. 259 her hair down, and the feeble voices around hersaid, The Holy Virgin be praised! It wasthe procession! The Mother of God has hadpity on us! At last Eomola rose from the heap of straw, tootired to try and smile any longer, saying as sheturned up the stone steps, — I will come by-and-by, to bring you yourdinner. Bless you, madonna! bless you! said thefaint chorus, in much the same tone as that inwhich they had a few minutes before praised andthanked the unseen Madonna. Eomola cared a great deal for that music. Shehad no innate taste for tending the sick and clothingthe ragged, like some women to whom the detailsof such work are welcome in themselves, simplyas an occupation. Her early training had kepther aloof from such womanly labours; and if shehad not brought to them the inspiration of herdeepest feelings, they would have been irksome toher. But they had come to be the one unshakenresting-place of her mind, the one narrow pathwayon which the light
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1893
