CHAPTER V.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 20, 7 September 1883, Page 7

CHAPTER V.

AN EX-VOTO. A little before twelve o'clock Geltruda, exhausted with emotion of the day and worn out with fatigue, had fallen asleep on her pne-Dwu with her head resting on her hands. Her slum ocrs were uneasy. She dreamt that Carlo was conducting her across a dangerous bridge over an abyss, and that when they had crossed it they stood on a spot where two roads branched off in different directions, one down a gentle descent into a green, flowery valley, and the other up a steep mountam-path. She was hesitating and lookinat him to see which he would take, when suddenly she beheld him w ?n g ™i« her, 8 , Gl J ut°nn*het *P oi the mountain, beckoning her to follow, and she heard him saying, « Geltruda mia " She felt unable to move. Still the same call was repeated. There was a crash ; the rocks seemed to give way, and the eaithto tremble under her feet. Then she opened her eyes, and heard again loudly and distinctly, the words, «Geltruda mia," and befame conscious that sand and stones were thrown against the panes of her window. In another moment she was bending over the balcony and crying out: " Carlo mio, is it you ? " ««-uuy The relief of that moment threatened more danger than she had yet gone through It required a strong effort to collect her senses so as to hsren to the direction Carlo was giving her. Point by point, however, the minutely followed them, dragging her mattresses and pillows to.thewindow, and pushing them over the balustrade of the balcony, then drawing up the ladder of ropes raised by the pole cS th ws e shTcouidDtt faßtemDg ifc t0 theiroQ railin- witb the 8t ™cWhen all was ready she knelt down before the crucifix commending her soul to God, stood lor an instant on the balcony % X fxT* "d °\ the B*nct»ary °* Lampedusa, seized the ropes ek^dher^ZsiscTn? ""» *" balUStrade ' a»d BHCceß^ The time it took seemed to Carlo interminable, though it had been but a few instants. When her feet touched the mattress on the cart he sprang up to her side and lifted her to the ground. Both fell Madonna 8 ' ff °n 6aCh °ther ' tbanked God aQd the it to B Gpllrn^ waß before Carlo a terrible task, and he had to break ?JS«i 5 +v? cy ««w ew f e standing beneath those walls which askedT - 6 C°rpSeS ndredl She pointed t0 them > ■»* " Who will give them Christian burial ? " 'Geltruda mia," he answered, "for the s.ke of the livine it XT 1 tKr? IV°%h? me andall ifc contains *• *obe destroyed by fire. The Black Death, the most fearful of all scourges, has swent yKrW^° le faml ly *V None was to approach ZfJpo?, under Ew°LJ? ' r° ept amongst our confraternity appointed by lot and bound on oath to set Castel Barco on fire. In order *o save yon, my beloved one, I undertook thia terrible task.» "°

Geltruda remained silent a moment, gazing fixedly on the home of her youth, now the sepulchre of her kindred. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. ™ " N <> prayers," she murmured, "will hallow their graves— no Mass soothe their souls. " "Yes, they will!" Carlo exclaimed. "Yes; there will be prayers there will be Masses said in every church in Taggia. This night all the city is watching. My mother has made appeal by tins time, I know it, to the faith and piety of every pious person in tne town. The Bishop has ordered that as soon as the flames are perceived a procession shall carry the Blessed Sacrament through .tne streets, and the Holy sacriflce will be offered in every church for the repose of the souls of your departed kindred. " Thank God for that ! " Geltruda murmured ; but her heart was breaking. She seemed unable to turn her eyes away from the doomed building, and when Carlo tried to lead her away she «hudSuddenly the sound of chanting was heard. It sounded strangely in the midst of the solemn stillness of the night. "Are the angels singing?" Geltruda exclaimed, clasping her hands ; which side does the sound come from ? " And seizing Carlos hand, she hastened to the farthest end of the terrace and round the corner of the house. They stood astonished at the sight which met their eyes. A procession of monks, some of them with torches in their hands and others carrying on a stretcher what Carlo instantly guessed to be the corpses of the dead, was issuing from the back of the house and ascending the road towards the mountains. His heart leaped with something like joy as he whispered to Geltruda, who was completely bewildered : " God is good, my loved one. He has sent the monka to our t£ p .V, J?? r poor relati ™s will, after all, have Christian burial. Oh ! God bless the good Capuchins. " "Let us follow them," Ge'truda said, trying to rise ; but her strength failed her, she sank on the ground. Carlo ran forward and overtook the procession, which halted an instant. One of the monks fell back to speak to him, whilst the others continued their slow ascent. He told him that some of the fugitives had informed the Prior of the awful event at Castel Barco, upon which one of the Fathers had hastened to the spot, but only to find that the tale was to true, and life cxt : nct in every case. Meantime the news had reached the convent of the municipal decree regarding Castel Barco. The Prior consultei his brethren, and all agreed to give Christian burial to the dead. Half the monks went to dig a grave in a deserted but consecrated cemetery half-way between their monastery and Castel Barco, and another detachment departed to rescue the bodies from the doomed house. " But we have not found the remains *f the Santarella, " the good fnar added. " She must have left the house before, or after, the fatal catastrophe. " " She is alive— she is safe, " Carlo answered ; " and Pra Mauro is in the Übaldi palace. Let the Prior know of this. I cannot stay. May the blessing of God and St. Francis be upon you for the deed you have done this day ! " k™." 1 * is as 1 tnou g h V he cried, as he returned to Geltruda. "They will rest in consecrated ground. My task has lost its horror. " She prayed silently for a while, then, raising her head, looked, at him and said : " Carlo, you must not enter the house." " I have promised my mother not to do so if it can be helped ; but my sad duty must be performed." "If you enter those walls, I shall enter them too," Geltruda said. " But I can show you a cellar which can be reached from out"de. It is filled with a great provision of wood and hay. By kindling it, a conflagration may be easily raised. But first let us release the poor animals in the stables and the out- buildings. I have heard them from the turret uttering piteous cries. Strong excitement kept up Geltruda. It gave her fictitious strength. She and Carlo went round the place, setting free every living thing about ib. " Now," she said, knowing that the moment was come, and that he dare not ask her to lead the way to the spot she had named— " now, in God's name, follow me." • She pointed to the cellar. He opened the door, took out of the cart the parcels of combustible material and threw them amongst the hay and wood, struck the flint from his tinder-box, kindled a flame-in the midst of a heap of fagots, and rushed to join Geltruda, who had fainted. He carried her to t.he cart under the turret, made j Bv T* llow Borne drops from a flask he had brought with him, and laid her on the mattress with a pillow under her head. She soon revived, and then he harnessed the mule and led it down the hill. When they reached the valley she called to him to stop. " Carlo," she said, " will you turn the cart round 1 Let us stop and witness from this spot the destruction of my father's- houseburnt down with our own hands " she added, and a strong trembling came over her. " " O my father ! Oh my poor brothers I Omy youDg sisters ! " she murmured, and prayed aloud for their soulfi with that vehement and impassioned fervor which in an Italian nature and from Italian lips sounds like inspiration. Nearly an hour elapsed, and a terrible fear crossed her mind that the attempt had failed. " Oh," she mentally exclaimed, " that it should be a failure I " But just as the thought occurred, a sudden blaze burst from the walls, and one side of the building was soon in flames. At the same moment the bells began to toll in all the churches of Taggia and its neighbourhood, telling of prayers offered up for the eoula of the dead. (To be Continued.)