LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1481, 14 November 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

TINA. [“all the year round.”] ( Concluded.) Had I not already resolved to return to the city as soon as Donato and Elisahet'a were married, and what did it rnat>er to anyone, whether I married or lived single, starved in a garret, or wore trinkets in Pietr »’s shop ? ‘Put,’ said my heart, ‘Donato might not marry Elisabetta after all ; she being far more* likely to have married bef >re Ih-j return. And in that case, might I not have Jived a little logger witH him and with his mother as before ? ’ I walked home with these thoughts buzzing in my he*d. Donato noticed my pale face and strange eyes I said 1 was tir d, and crept away to the little attic where I had my bed ; and as I lay there, staring at the stars, I saw clearly again that Donato must be cured, Y ith his future I could have nothing to do. further than sending him to meet it, who’e f limb, and sound in belch. This much the - nnels ha I appo nted for me; and, afterwards, I would give him over into their hands.

Nevt evening, I was singing on the o, when 'hr.'ugh the dusk I saw Pietro coming towards me, with his hands full of ilowers, Mys- ng died rn my lips, and the people moved away thinking I was ill or out of humoir. 1 bent over my zdher shEering; and yet I did not dislike Pietro, win m I felt to be kind, m’.y it seemed that every step he made towards me was opening a gulf between me and my mountains and Donato.

* Well,” little Tina, “he said triumphantly, filling my bands wth crims n blossoms. ‘ You sen I have come for my answer.' ‘Let it be as you sail,’ I repud, hurrying t * ray the words, hut afterwards they should refuse to come. ‘ But you must let me tabe Donato home. 1 shall want to say goodbye to my mother.’ Biet'o’s face darkened, and he looked displeased. ‘ How could I be sure that you would ever come back to me? ’ he grumbled. 1 I never break my word,’ I answered sadly. •Well, then, you sha’l have your way,’ he said, after some reflection. * And per haps, who knows, I may take holiday and fet h you.’ ‘ There is another thing I want to insist upon,’ I said. ‘ You must not tell a word of all this to my brother. When w'e get ba k to the mountains I wiT let him know it all,’

* You think he would not agree ; you believe him to be a fool!’ cried Pietro, with indignation. ‘ I do not say that,’ I said wistfully ; ‘ but I have a notion that, if he knew it, he might spoil f ur plans.’ And Pietro consented to bo silent on our Compact The following day Donato’s cure began. The doctors understood his case, and promised to m-'ke him well; and Pietro paid their fees. Donato accepted the money as a loan, and was full (f astonishment at the stranger’s generous kindr ess Dav after day, as I sat by his side, he talked to me (f the efforts he would make to pay off the debt, hemet'mes the thought of it o'?e:c st his chcerffilces*, and then I found it hard not to tell him the truth ; but I felt instinctively that be would be still more troubled at knowing I had been put in such a strait. P’or how could I pretend to him that Pietro was the husband of my choic * ? w ee ks passed ; the doctors did their work, and I sang oo the Orso every evening, I worked at wood carving in the day-time, and a’together earned enough money for our support; accenting norbing from ’ ictro but the f* es, which had been the matter of our agreement. I'onato, feeling himself grow daily stronger, began to talk joyfully of our return. So eetimes he mentioned t IDabetla bet not so often as he used to do; and always with a brnk of anxiety on his face. ‘He begins to fear that she has already deserted him,’ I thought; and now that he was looking like our Douato of old, 1 felt less sure th<t there was cause for his fears.

‘ Have courage, my brother ! ’ I said, locking up brightly from my carving. ‘Your b idy is getting well; do not let your heart now get sick ! ’ He gave me a long grave look, which made me tremble all over, feaiing he had guessed mv secret ; but he only swd : ‘lwoud -r di l any woman ever do more for any mau, than you hs.ve done for me, my Tina I You have wasted your strength, your beauty ’ *My beauty !’ I cried aghast. Never had I heard such a thing mentioned before. ‘ Ye s ,’he persisted, ‘your beauty. However, it is not gone yet. ea'ina, Your eyes arc too largo, and your cheeks arc too white; but the mountain air will bring back your roses ’

I smiled ; whro nevertheless a great stroke of sorrow clove my heart. I thought of our last days together j mmeying back, and of my re tarn in my loneliness with Pietro. A lit tle while longer, and my way would lie nr m 'tc among the heights. More wse'is Hew, i o-iato walked without crutches, and the rud 'y bronze had returned to his f tee The weather was delicmusly cool, though winter had not yet set in ; and we began to talk freely of our return to the ruounba'us.

At la't, one morniug we set out. and Pietro walked a good part of the way with us. He bad b ought me, as usual, some roses, ;vnd looked pained and saddened when wc had • him farewell.

‘ Ri-memh'r your promise, little Tina/ ho said, at parting. ‘ What d es he mean h}r your promise ?’ asked Donato, as avg walked along, ho holding me by the hand, Uko a child that had

tired itself more than enough, and had now to be led tenderly home. ‘ I premised ta be glad to see him/ I said, ‘when he comes to pay a visit to our mountains.’

D nato flashed and frowned; and I was vexed at not having hit on something be’ter t > say. I feared he might think Pietro was uneasv about his mon- y ‘ He is not at all anxious about the debt, however,’ I added. ‘He knows well that that will be paid ’ ‘Of course hs said Donato, ‘ and I was net thinking about the debt. Tina, you are n' t thinkir g of marrying him ?’ ‘ Why should he wish me to marry him ?’ T said sadly. And though this was an evasion, it was also a question T was weary of asking myself. ‘ Don t you see that I am coming back to the mountains ?’ * Yes, you are coming back,’ he said, holding my hand more tightly. As we went along I was no longer gay and angry by turns, as formerly, only spiritless and tired, Ponato was now so strong and well that he did not need my cheering; and when ray songs died in my throat, he would play on the zither in his old merry fashion, shouting out bis roundelays to the rocks and pines. He tenderly cared for me, as a nurse cares 'or a child, carrying me over the rough p'aces, and seeing a draught of mi k forme at every opportunity. Higher and higher we r >se into our swtet, blue native air, and the city with its crowds, and Pietro with bis roses all faded away, as if only known in a dream. Yet I never forgot what was before me, and that I was living my last moments by D.n ato’s side. As we came nearer to our home, Eli*abetta’s golden hair began to glimmer among the sunbeams, and her eyes began to peer at me through the branches of the pines. But I was no longer jealous of her as I had used to be; on’y anxious to find that she was true. I felc that, when I must descend the mountains into sorrow with Pietro, it would comfort me to know that Donato was happy in his home.

We ascended the last steep in the purple dusk, and smelt the burning wood, and saw the fires of our village shining red through the doorways. Donato almost carried me in to Ins mo’her, and laid me in her arms. Never shall I forget her scream of joy when she saw him standing straight and strong before her.

/s we sat together after supper, all our stories told, each of us thought of the same person, but nobody sooke. ‘How is tlisabetta? ’ asked Donato gravely, at last. The mother’s face changed. ‘ She is v ell,’ she answered. * and she is not married. She expects you to go to visit her at once.’

And after that I saw that Donato became re. tless.

All the next day 1 lay prostrate on my bed ; but in the evening I crept down into the kitchen, and sat in quiet near the doorway, looking out upon the glaciers and the pines. The mother was gone to talk over her joyous ne vs with a neighbour, and I was all ah ne, when Donato suddenly came in. 1 was surprised, for I knew that he had gone to Elisabetta He knelt down beside me and took both my hands in his. ‘My love, my Tina,’ he said; ‘lean love nobody bat you !’ ‘ Donato ! ’ I cried, frightened out of my wits.

‘ Yes,’ he sa : d, half laughing and half sobbing, ‘ 1 have seen Elisabetta, and she is a fool and a coquette. Her golden hair is brass, and her eyes are beads. But you are beautiful, mv Tina, for the angels have lent you your face 1’ ‘Donato,’! cried, ‘you must have gone mad ! Have you quarrelled with Elizabecta, and has she refused you ? ’ ‘ Bhe has not quarrelled with me, and it if I who r -fuse h"r. She has b a en engaged and jilted since I left her yet she would marry me to-m rrow if I will. But I will not, my Tin*, for I love another woman! ’

I felt that I had got a blow, and my mind grew da k ; but in a few moments all became clear again ‘ You are engaged to her,’ I said, ‘ and I I am engaged to Pietro.’ Dcnato gave a cry, and Hung my hands away from him ‘ You.’ he exclaimed’ * you —you love that Pietro ! ’ • I do not love him,’ I said wearily ; ‘but he is coining - he is c ming—and he will not take your money, Donato,’ ‘You mean to say that you sold yourself to make me well! ’

I could net say anything. I only hung my head.

Elisahetta insisted on claiming her lover, and I, sobbing on Donato’s breast, had repeated to him all that I had promised to Pietro Pale, wild, and sad, we two each went our ways, and scarcely dared to speak to one another. The moi her only smiled, and pred : cte I that all would be well. She went about, making it known to the neighbors how a wealthy merchant was coming up from the cities to marry little Tina. Be was a dealer in jewels, and his wife would be like a queen. The girls listened eagm y, and Pietro’s arrival was looked for with anxiety. E isabetta questioned me closely as to his means, his age, his appearance, and espeeia’ly about the trinkets in his shop ; and her manner to Donato again became scornful. Then I began t) get a glimmer of what the wise old mother meant.

E isabetta was fond of walking on the road with her friends in the evenings, when the sun shone on her burnished hair, and her beauty cast her companions into the shade So it happened that she was the first to meet Pietro as ho wended up the steep, and in her mother’s house he first broke our village bread Need I t< 11 how his fancy for me disappeared before her smiles; or how she gamed the double triumph of robbing little Tina of h<r lover, and wedding a husband who could cover her with trinkets ?

Pietro came up to me one day, looking so penitent and ashamed, that my heart began to reel for joy. Eli-abctta had bewitched him, aod bn begged to be set free. He wished to remit the debt, but I assured him it would have to be paid. When he was gone, I c'imbed to the overhanging rocks to meet D. nato coming home from the hunting; and he my joyful singing, bef re he caught sight of me running along the level to be folded in his arms.