In the Tunnel.

Western Star, Issue 944, 2 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

In the Tunnel.

Imbedded in a deep Italian valley lay the village of Santa Chiara. Mountains surrounded it on all sides except on the north, where the valley narrowed into a gorge with steep, precipitous sides, forming a natural roadway out into the open country. So the valley and village were in a cul-de-sac, and to this reason the peasants attributed a great deal of their poverty.. In remote, far-away times a narrow road had been made over the mountain toward the south, and the more enterprising of the villagers drove their mules once or twice a year over this pass—-a clay and a half journey—to the big town of Monte Gaetano, to sell the fruits of their industry; but the journey took time and money, and both were too valuable to be spent on the road very often. : But With the energy and enterprise of the nineteenth century came a change. There was much talk of not being able to get to Monte Gaetano easily. It was a large and important town, but its size and importance would both be iqucjl Increased if a free communication cduld be opened with the northern railways. The inhabitants of Santa Chiara were; startled one day by the arrival of engineers, but they were destined to he astonished. In a few weeks the village was over-run with workmen, the valleys resounded with the blasting of rocks, and they understood that a great tunnel was to be made through their mountain. The work turned out more difficult than was at first anticipated. The tunnel had not far to go into the unbrokefa solid mountain, but emerged occasionally in to deep, narrow fissures, from thence making a fresh start into the bowels ;.f the earth.

The work was finished at last, and deco rated triumphantly with flags passed the whole way down the line to Monte Caetano, bearing upon it the engineers, foremen, and chiefworkmen, and one or two gentlemen whose united money and exertions had carried the great work through. They were received at the new station at Monte Caetano with enthusiasm, were presented with handsome testimonials, to feel themselves real heroes PPTpuihic benefactors. Santa Chiara, about a week after the opening of the great tunnel. Vespers Were over, the bell had not yet rung for benediction, and all the inhabitants of the little village were strolling About the vineyard or sitting in the churchyard. The village consisted of A piam or square, round which stood the principal houses, and out of which A few irregularly-built, straggling Ittliets stretched up the side of the bill. The church stood at the bead of the piam. in the midst of the Churchyard. The low wall all round it was a favourite seat of the where they lounged away many An idle hour. In the angle of |he WAll stood a large, shady, chestnut Pippa Novatelii, the prettiest girl in the village, leaned against its trufik, with her little brown hands demurely clasped together. “Abal it is true that Pippa has beauty,” said old Mariuccia to another old crone yet more wrinkled than Herself.

“-Pippa may hare beaut/, but she is ft little demon for all that! The holy jfcmti don’t give everything to one Jjersonj and they have taken too much halts it the making of her face to hate: given themselves time to look aftefr her heart! Look there! The little viper 1” Pippa was looking her best, for her betrothed Gianni (called the Qellino pt of his sky-blue eyes) was there, Bitting on the wall, and it was fid amusing to make him jealous, the fOolish fellow. On the other side* sitting pt the grass, with his large dark eyes filed on her, and an indescribable dainty grace in the pose of. his active figure/, sat Tonino 2ei, one of the subordinates of the engineers, one of the flood of new-comers whom the great tunnel had brought beyond the mountains to disturb the peace of Santa Ohiara.

Tonino had not been long in the Village. Only three weeks ago he had come to replace a Piedmontese who had finished all the skilled work and had passed on to new labours elsewhere. Tonino was but a beginner as yetj but he was quite capable of carrying on hie predecessor’s work, and his superiors pronounced him a young fellow of much promise. Tonino bad lost his Prom the moment that Pippa passed him, the day after bis arrival, in her dark fown, with a scarlet handkerchief netted round her curly black hair, With her brown skin and red lips, and the wonderful dark eyes which flashed on him as she turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder with a glance of mischievous pleasure in hia tod evident admiration.

Pippa had many lovers. Old Pietro, with his farm, and the well-known hoard of money in his big gilt cassone. Young Ceccho, who possessed nothing but strong arms and wistful eyes. Baldouinetto, called Zoppo, and Lenzo, who had taken her refusal to heart that that he sold his patrimony, bought an organ and a monkey, and went away over the mountains, and never came back again. But after a weary courtship of alter* Sate ho|Qa waveriugSj,

cpcjuettries, and heartburnings, at last d*is.pa agreed to marry Qianni il BelIjap, and he thought himself the happiest of men. He was a vdfurino on Corniehe road, and he had prepared a sunny little home for his brine near Sestr], > A house at the end of Atiohg avenuVfdf acacia trees, with vineyard of its own, a loggia looking over the sea, and every comfort that the heart of a little mountain contadina could desire. When Pippa should be bis wife he meant to drive her there in state in his big voiturier carriage, and he would establish her there, and as he drove his travellers back and forward on the road would look as he passed to see her standing smiling at the door. The vision was only too sweet. The big carriage with the four horses—Blondo, Nero, Giallo, and the last purchased, Pippo, were all waiting at Monte Gaetano for the happy day—and the coupe had been re-lined with a bright shiny yellow chintz, to be worthy of his Pippa. But there is no rose without a thorn, and the brighter the light, the darker the shadow it throws.

Tonino arrived with the polish of city life in his manners and the chic of the city tailor in the cut of his clothes, and he began to make love to Pippa as no one had ever made love to her before. He paid her honeyed compliments, he threw an air of tender, rapt admiration into the gaze of his dark eye, he offered her, the commonest flower with an air of devotion which threw into the shade Gianni’s far larger offering. ‘ It is to large !’ she cried, pettishly rejecting her betrothed’s great posy of roses, and he had the mortification of seeing her fix Tonnino’s insignificant carnation in her bodice instead.

Gianni flung away his roses fiercely, and Pippa was so busy talking to Tonnino that not till her foot was on it did she perceive that he had done so.

“ Now that the tunnel is done and the way open, you will be leaving us,” she said, softly, leaning against the chestnut tree and playing with the fading carnation. Tonino answered with the soft, caressing sound in his voice that expressed more devotion than the words he uttered :

“ And if I were to be called away, would there be one heart in Santa Chiara to mourn me ; one eye to shed tears over my departure ?'' “ Can you doubt ?’ said Pippa, “Friends are not so easily forgot ten.”

“ A fig for friendship ! cried Tonino, with a snap of his fingers so loud that all started.

“ That is a strange sentiment, Signor Zei !” said Gianni bitterly. Tonino only started at him, then turning towards Pippa, he rose to his feet and approached her. > “ Ah, dear Pippa,” he said, “ will you keep the secret if I tell you some news that I received this morning ?” “Do not whisper,” said Pippa uneasily. “ Gianni does not like it.” ' “ Ah, hah 1 he does not care ! Look at him. Pippa turned her head and flocked. Sore, mortified, and angry, Gianni was feigning an indifference he did not feel. He sat with a stolid look on his broad, comely face, playing with the ears of the little Spitz dog which accompanied him in all his journeys. “ I see that he does not care,” said Pippa, trying to laugh. “ Then grant me that which I asked said Tonino coaxingly, “Walk with me up the mountain among the vineyards. You cannot refuse one who may leave you so soon and whose heart is bleeding at the very idea.” Pippa thought that GHanna should be more demonstrative. It was tiresome to see him miserable j she wanted to see him angry, This betrothal was very dull, very monotonous. She stood upright and said lightly, “ Let us go to the vineyards. We shall have time for a short walk before the benediction.

Pippa spoke with her face toward Gianni, so that he must hear, and, half thinking that she spoke to him, he leaped to his feet, and the light sparkled in his blue eyes, but the light faded away at the sound of her coquettish little laugh. “ No, no, Gianni! I would not disturb you for the world. Sit still; go to sleep j” and passing her hand lightly through Tonnino’s arm, she walked away with him. Gianni did not resume his seat but stood looking after them. Ha saw Tonino bending his curly head with a look of devotion, and a dark scowl settled on his face.

“Ah, ha I GHanni, my poor boy,” said a croaking voice close beside him. “ So the traitress plays thee also false. I knew how it would be. Such are women. They are all false, they are all bad, and the best of them are those 'that wear the mask the longest.” “ Croaking as usual, Father Giacomo,” said Gianni, trying to laugh, “ She has not thrown me over. Our wedding day is fixed.” “ But it is not dawned yet. Yia 1 cried the old man, throwing out both his hands. “ Why don’t you follow them F he cried impatiently. “ Ah, ha ! Gianni, though women are false, men are fools. You should hold them tight, beat them, keep them under. Break their spirits or they will break your heart, Go after them I tell you } go after them ! Bah I why should 1 incommode myself thus F Women

will always be false, and men will always be fools!” and old Giacomo took a prodigious pinch of snuff, Gianni walked off unwillingly enough. He was a proud man, and Pippa’s conduct was hurting him bitterly. He did not wish to lose his dignity and sacrifise his self-esteen by becoming jealous ; it degraded him iu his own eyes. But love was stronger than will, and he uttered a short, bitter exclamation of disgust with himself because he could not resist the tempation to follow Pippa and his rival.

The sun was beginning to go down ; it was very hot. Tonino and Pippa found the shade of the long rows of vines very grateful. The leaves were luxuriant, and the air was filled with their warm sweet smell.

Tonino bent lower over Pippa and said* softly: “ The news I have to tell you, my Pippa, is that, after all, perhaps, I am not going from Santa Chiara.”

Pippa was rather taken aback. She would not have let Tonino go so far if she had not thought that ho was going away now at once, through the big tunnd he had helped to make, and never coming back again. It was quite another thing that he was always to be there.”

“ Not going away ?” she said, with a little quaver in .her voice. Tonino thought the little quaver was one of of happiness. “ Dearest,” he said, “it is true. Someone is required to be always on the spot. Every night I must go through the tunnel to see that all is well. This will be necessary for long months, till we see that the work is perfect in every part, that no unexpected dangers may arise. And it is I that have received the appointment.’

Tonino hit his breast with a sound of triumph, then he suddenly threw his arm round Pippa’s waist. “ Say, beautiful Pippa 1 dearest of of my heart! he cried. “ Say that you rejoice as I do. We shall not be separated.” Pippa was too much astonished to resist. Tonino had his arm round her, and now he bent forward and kissed her once, twice, before she could speak, when there came a sudden shout that sounded more like the roar of a wild beast than a human voice, and Gianni threw himself between them, his eyes flashing, his face convulsed with rage. Pippa was terrfied, and in her terror she could think of nothing save that one of the two would be killed. She threw herself upon Gianni, clinging round his arrr s with all her weight, while she cried with a hoarse voice that did not sound like her own:

“ Ply, Tonino, fly ! He will kill you. Wo shall all be lost. Ply ! fly!” Tonino was not brave ] he turned and went, gliding away among the vines with his head turned over his shoulder, and his eyes glaring at Gianni with a look of intense hatred.

“ He has gone,” cried Pippa, sinking on her knees, but still clinging to her betrothed. “ Thank heaven he is gone 1” “You have saved your lover this once,” said Gianni between his teeth. But opportunities do not lack.” You would kill him ?” cried Pippa. “ Had he a hundred lives I would take them all!” and Gianni ground his teeth with the ferocity of a jealous Italian.

“ But why should you kill him ?” cried Pippa, bursting into tears. “He is nothing to me,” “ Tell that to whoever is fool enough to believe you,” said Gianni scornfully. “ Oh, Gianni, are we not betrothed ?”

“ That also is a thing of the past. Old Giacomo is right—all women are false 1”

Gianni strode away and left her. Pippa stood looking after him. “ Giacomo is right in every thing,” she said to herself through her tears. “ And all men are fools.” Oh, Gianni! Gianni 1

But whether he heard her piteous little cry or not he did not turn, and Pippa sat down under the vine leaves and sobbed as if her heart would break. The sun went down, the church bell rang, the people poured into the last service, and still Pippa sat sobbing. Then she heard the voices of the congregation as they once more came out of church.

“ Gianni is a good man,” she said to herself, “He never misses benediction. The holy service will have softened his hearthe will forgive me. Though Tonino is going to stop here, it will not matter, for I shall be the one to go. Gianni and I shall marry at once, and we shall go away in his big carriage to Sestri. After all, we may be very happy yet. I won’t put off the wedding any more jit shall be at once, lam sure that Gianni will see when he looks at me that I mean to be good now.” Pippa had no tears left to shed; she dried her eyes and pushed back her curly hair and walked down to the village. The people were all clustered together in the piazza, but she saw neither Gianni nor Tonino among them, and she thought that they all looked at her rather strangely. Old Giacomo came hobbling up to her.

“.Do yon want to know where yonr two lovers are, my beauty P” he said. " Well, well, you shall not be left in ignorance. Tonino, when he came out of church, took his bag of tools (you know them F) over hia shoulder,

lighted his lantern, and went off through the tunnel on his usual inspection. He must have got some way by this time.” “ And my Gianni ?” cried Pippa. trembling. “ Gianni had an odd look on his face. The evil eye has crossed him perhaps. Who knows ?” “ But where is he, ?” she faltered 1 “It is very strange,” said Giacomo, “ But he also took the way of the tunnel. He also must be some way by this time, and—” But Pippa waited to hear no more. A horrible dread had seized upon her ! a terror cold as a hand of ice laid on her heart. She uttered a shrill little cry and sped away toward the mountain as fast as her feet could carry her. “ Per Bacco ! there will be mischief,” said one man to another. “ Would it not be best to go after them ? “ I shall tell the Priore,” said Marriuccia, wagging her old head as she went off in search of the priest.

In a few minutes quite a crowd had gathered round the mouth of the tunnel.

Meanwhile Pippa ran on and reached her destination. The opening looked fearfully dark and gloomy in the fading light, and she had no lantern with her; but terror lent her courage; she never hesitated, but quickly crossing herself she darted in. It was quite dark now. Pippa guided herself along the wall; she was obliged to go more slowly, for several times she caught her foot against one of the sleepers and nearly fell. Oh, how pitch dark it was! and how cold ! She gasped for breath. Now her hands rapidly passing along the wall encountered something cold and slimy, and she tried to fling it off, but it clung. “A slug,” she thought with a shudder as she got rid of it at last, never slackening her steps. Alll was deadly still. She could hear her own panting breath. Now a sort of pale colour began through the blackness, and a warmer breath of air; she could see again. The big tunnel opened into a little gorge not ten feet wide. She looked up through the rocks almost like one from the bottom of a well, and saw the friendly blue sky, then taking courage, plunged on again into deeper night than before. Pippa could feel the darkness, the cold, breathless atmosphere; she was getting into the longest, the most unbroken part of the tunnel. She gasped for breath, her brain began to reel, her eyes throbbed and ached with the strain to see where nothing was visible. Then suddenly, quite suddenly it seemed to her, in the far distance she perceived a little moving spark ; a light that could be nothing but Tonino’s lantern. Her heart beat almost to suffocation, she paused for one instant to gain breath, then bounded on, for it seemed to her intensely strained sense of hearing that there was someone else ahead of her, some footsteps swiftly following the lantern, in pursuit of it. Pippa passed on faster, and faster, did the distance between them seem to be diminishing* Would she arrive in time ?

She had grown accustomed to the sleepers now, and knew mechanically when to expect them as she ran. She was getting nearer and nearer. Suddenly she saw the lantern stop j there was a sound that made Pip pa pause to listen with the terror of a hunted animal. A rush of footsteps, a kind of shout, a sound of a death struggle. Pippa bounded forward with a cry, the guiding light disappeared, she heard the crash as the lantern fell, and all was total darkness.

Suddenly rang out a shout which filled the whole tunnel—a wild, unearthly whistle, a distant roar approaching nearer and nearer and nearer. Pippa shrank back, crouched, pressed, against the wall. The train was coming. She heard a shout from the fighters —“ Back, back 1 Let go! The train comes! Maria Santissima 1”

“ Never, never ! Go then to thy doom ! The roar increased louder and louder; with a terrific noise the train rushed past; a cold air filled the place, a sudden dense sensation of suffocation. What sound was that ? A kind of sickening crash, as if something had been crushed out of all human recognition under those awful wheels.

Then came a dead, awful silence. No one spoke, no one seemed to breathe. Then Fippa turned, and crept back the way she had come, conscious of nothing but a frantic desire to get back to the air, to God’s light again. Bound the mouth of the tunnel the crown of visitors had assembled, but no one went in. They stood waiting uneasily, wondering what was happening. They had seen the train go by, and kept on saying to each other that it must be ail right. Presently out of the darkness crept forth a figure they hardly recognised as the beautiful Pippa. Her hands stretched out blindly before her, her eyes wide open and unseeing, her lips livid.

“ But what is it, Pippa ? Santi Apostoli, what has happened ?” But she answered nothing; only pointed tcT the tunnel with ghastly looks.

Another! The crowd separated in a kind of terror, for out of the dark l ness staggered forth another panicstricken human creature —Gianni, who with troubling hands was straggling

at his shirt collar trying to tear it open, to breathe, to get air. “ Heaven help us! but what has happened?’ cried the people. Then they made way for the Priore, who was hastening forward, followed by old Mariuccia. Gianni reeled forward as if he were drunken- “An n ccident, father,” he gasped—“ a horrible accident, the wheels! the—the-—’ “ Give him water,” said the priest quickly, “ and fetch lanterns. Quick, quick, lose no time, ths unhappy man may yet be living. But all was not yet over. Once more out of the mouth of the tunnel appeared another. “ Haste ! haste !’ he shouted. “ Bring lights! Coma at once. Gianni has been run over by the train.” But Pippa caught sight of him, and uttered a cry which rang through the air: “ Touino ! it is thou. Gianni! Gianni! Then she burst into laughter so wild and unnatural that the women all rushed round her. She could not cease peal after peal shook her from head to foot- They had to throw water over her several times, and for a long time in vain. The villagers gathered round the two men. “I thought I had killed thee,” faltered Gianni. “ I also thought thou wast dead,” said Tonino, shuddering violently. “Oh ! it was horrible, horrible.”

“ God has been very merciful to you both,” said the Priore, gravely. The two men took off their hats and muttered an amen. They could neither of them cease shuddering. “ But what was that horrible noise as of something crushed ?” asked Gianni at last, every trace of colour again leaving his cheek. “ It was my bag of tools,” said Tonino with a pale smile. “ Truly, friends, you owe me a new set.” A fortnight later the whole village went by train through the big tunnel to Monte Gaetano to see the departure of Gianni and his bride.

They sat in the coupe of, the big carriage, and Pippa’s dark curly hair and bright eyes looked brilliant on the background of golden yellow calico. The four horses were decorated with ribbons of every colour, and the bride wore a beautiful vezzo of pearls, which had come down to her through many generations.

“ Buon viaggia ! Buon viaggia ! shouted the crowd, and they drove away along the road through merry dancing clouds of dust, the little bells on the harness jingling harmoniously. Old Giacomo stood watching till they were out of sight, then as he turned away he muttered: “All the same, all women are false.” “ No, no 1” cried the peasant girls, laughing and' showing their white teeth. Giacomo turned -round with a kind of snarl, “Bah!” he cried, “And all men are fools.”

“That’s as may be,” said the lads, and they also laughed.— Oornhill Magazine..