LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1402, 13 August 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE STRONGER VOW OF THE TWO

(Concluded.)

‘Gf course, you will be here every day—you will stay here altogether What would become of my lessons and my learning if I snent a summer without looking at a book ? Why ” She was going to add that, in planning her summer residence, the had all the while thought of him, and him alone as her companion ; but with all her childishness she bad womanly dignity enough to keep back the words. A blush ended the sentence for her.

Ruggiero objected- He found a hundred arguments to show that what it was bis innerm st heart s wish to do, was impossible. She refuted them all, and wound up by a saucy, independent speech, that made her ten times moie Kvely in his eyes than before

‘ I tell you, p ister Agues has nothing at all to say. No one has a right to use their influence upon me, except those to whom I choose to grant that right. And that is only my uncle »nd, perhaps—well, yes —y> u. Your convent will not refuse me the favour I ask of it.”

She drew him along, with her youthful impstuonsnesa, which had awakened to full life to-day, over gravel walks and terraces, out into the open air and sunshine, and there, seated on a rustic bench under a far spreading magnolia, he spoke words she had nev. r yet heard. He told her of God as he knew and loved and feared the Almighty Presence ; spoke an enthusiast’s words with an enthusiast’s expression, that brought persuasion with it, fie gave her few but clear notions of what be believed to be tbe truth. The girl was sorry to take leave of a great deal that had constituted religion with her ; but she had been taught so much that was beautiful from the mouth of the young priest she con'd not but be ieve him. He appeared to her great and good, and far above the class of persons she had intimately known from childhood. She replied neither by word nor look, but held her eyes steadfastly bent to the ground, even when he had ceased speaking. At last she drew a long breath, and asked ;

‘Do you think God would hear our prayer if we spoke it here, under the magnolia-tree on profane ground, without the emblems of religion around us ? ’

‘ Certainly, Madonna. There is no profane ground on all the earth. God has created it all, and His Hand has sanctified it : better than men can by speaking a blessing over solitary spots, whereon they build their churches ’

Drusilla remained silent for a long time, and even while walking with the Abbate through garden and house she spoke but little. Yet she had a vague feeling of enjoyment about her, and as she sat down to her board, rieMv dressed and ornamented, and no one beside her bat the young Abbate, sbe smi'ed once more. After dinner they sat on the terrace by the river, comfortably sipping their coifee, aud without a servant iu attendance. Hrusilla nestled back in her armchair, and in her sweetest tone said ;

‘ Abbate, will you do me a very great favor ? Will you tell me why you took holy orders ? Why you are a priest, and not a rich young man driving your horses about town, and dancing with young ladies at the fashionable balls ?’

* You have answered yourself, Madonna. It is becans» I am not a rich man that I am a p r iest. My family is one of old renown, b :t if we wish to keep the sound of our name intact, wo must leave the eldest son in possession of all wo have—wc others do what wo can to live. My brothc s are in the army, the navy -I do not know why my father chose me to go into holy orders, I obeyed him when 1 did not know what obedience brought with it—and I think it the man’s duty to redeem the hoy’s promise I have always been well treated in my convent ; and although my superiors know that I have an opinion of my own in religious questions, vet they allow me to pursue my road unmolested. I am at peace and wish for nothing. That is a point gained at my

age, I think, when passions soar high and endeavor to draw us to ruin and decay.’ Diu o silla hsd not understood all that he said ; yet she felt that it was not nil truth, He must fought a'd battled with himself before he gained supremacy body and mind After a pause she said it was high time to have the carriage ordered, and a few minutes later they were driving home in silence. In the immediate neighbourhood < f the town she was herself again, and kindly a*ked Ruggiero to demand permis sion of his superior that very day. by whi h he would be free to accompany her to her villa on the Adige. He Promised with a bright look, but expressed fears of being refused. ‘ And must you obey ?’ she asked. ‘Every word of my superiors!’ Rugiero answered. * And will you be glad to obey ?’ ‘ How can you ask such a question, Madonna. The time spent at your villa would be the happiest of my life, and worth thrice the rest of my days.’ ‘ Then you are not happy in your present condition —and have told me an untruth—yon, a priest I’ She spoke those words as they halted before her palace door, where a number of servants stood ready to receive her. With a ceremonious bow she dismissed t v e Ahhate, who returned to his convent with a slow step and a musing mind. Abbate Ruggiero had scarcely returned to his convent when he was summoned before the superior. With a kind look and a soft voice unusual with him, the superior began—- * Young brother! you have hern busy all day in working for the hononr and the splendour of the convent. In its name T thank yon for the services you have rendered it.’ ‘ I have done nothing whatever whereby I deserve the gratitude of my convent.’ answered Ruggiero proudly, while a surprised 10-'k came into his eves. The superior’s first words seemed to have been a snare wherewith to ent~ap the young man. In a severe tone he now continued— * I thought yon clever and pious enough not to need instructions when you entered the palace of the Portalupi. Cannot yon see that the young countess is well disposed to renounce the world, which has been faithless to her, and take the veil in one of our nunneries ? It was your task to encourage her indention.’ * She has no intention of the kind that I know of,’ Ruggiero answered firmly. ' She seems to me all life and joy, and I do not think that she has ever given a thought to entering a cloister, I cannot blame her. The convent s life is for the old and the disappointed ’ The superior’s brow darkened ‘You speak strangely,’ he said, in a menacing tone. ‘ You speak as ill befits a brother in St Benedict’s holy order. Are you old—a-e you disappointed ? Honna Drusilla must enter a convent, and you, are the man who must lead her on the right path—you must gain influence over her, and instil into her mind the desire to find a home with us.’ ‘Seek another for this task,’ was Ruggiero’s answer, • I cannot lend a hand to so ’ The superior interrupted him. ‘Ho not sp'ak words f w wh’ch I must punish you. I kn >w that Donna Brasilia intends inviting you to her »'illa on the Adige for +he whole summer. That is time enough for her conversion, which has been well prepared by Sister Agnes. You have your choice. Either you go as confessor to Donna Drusilla and do as I hid yon —or else jmu leave Verona to morrow for the mountains of Calabria, where there is plenty of work to do for our order. Fr* Angelo goes to the villa on the Adige in your stead ’ The words struck like a blow to Ruggieros heart. Fra Angelo was a fanatic, who sought forgiveness for the sins of bis youth by ill-treating his own body, and who was anything hut indulgent to the faults of ethers Bnggiero po nred to hims-lf the life Drusißa would lead between Sister Agnes end Fra Angelo. He never once thought of what ho should have to endure in the mountains of Calabria. He only thought of her, and the probable result of Fra '■ rgelo’s mission. As he opened his mouth to answer, the superior, who had marked the change in his cmnteuence, forestalled what he might have to say ; ‘Your answer to-morrow morning. We grant you time f->r consideration.’ No sleep came to Ruggiero all. that night. He fought the hardest, struggle of his ife. In the morning, as the. bell rang for matins, bis eyes were heavy, bis body was worn out, bu f bis mind had come to a firm resolve He bad made up bis mind not to succeed in Donna Brasilia's conversion. Anything be might do would be well done if it kept Fra Angelo aloof from her.

Drusilla, who did not know how he had fought against himself before be succumbed, expressed her innocent de’ight at the announcement of his acquiescence in her desire. She stood alone with him in the deep recess of the parlor window, when he told her in broken words that the snpeior bad granted him permission to take ’envo of the convent for the summer. Net even Sister Agnes was nigh. Before he had the slightest notion of whst she was gong to do, she had caught his white hand in h°rs, and d' posted a slight kiss on it. It had ben the fist, and remained the last. And, indeed, it was no unusual thing in pious Daly for a woman, ever so highly bom, to kiss a priest’s hand had the servants seen it th y would have supposed noth’ng wrong in the action But it was different with these two. Why else should Drusilla have blushed painfully, while she dropped Ms hand in baste ? Why would Ruggiero have I st all countenance, and g isped out words without sense, while his face turned from crimson to ashy paleness ?

In less than a week after Ruggiero’s conversation with the superior they settled down at the villa on the Adige. Nothing interrupted the swe t quiet country life for a couple of weeks. • nggiero had planned a list of lessons which must be rig'dly kept up. The rest of the time was devoted to healthy exorci e ; drlving, ridinp, walking, and rowing on the river Sister Agnes was strangely indulgent to all Drusilla’s whims and caprices. She left ber abnest entirely to the care of the young Abbate ; never accompanied them in their drives or walks ; rarely entrusted herself to the boat they both loved to row. Had she dreamed how careless Ruggiero was in doing the task set him, she would have acted very differently. 'I he young man was indeed intent upon elevating Brasilia's mind to what he himself revered, but not in the way Sister Agnes proposed. Drusilla innocently gave herself up to the pleasure of his society. She loved to hear him speak. From a pleasant companion and a learned teacher, he soon became an absolute necessity to her.