登陆注册
14923200000018

第18章 THE SIGNORINO(1)

One day, when Goneril, much browner and rosier for a week among the mountains, came in to lunch at noon, she found no signs of that usually regular repast. The little maid was on her knees polishing the floor; Miss Prunty was scolding, dusting, ordering dinner, arranging vases, all at once; strangest of all, Madame Petrucci had taken the oil-cloth cover from her grand piano, and, seated before it, was practising her sweet and faded notes, unheedful of the surrounding din and business.

"What's the matter?" cried Goneril.

"We expect the signorino," said Miss Prunty. "And is he going to stay here?""Don't be a fool!" snapped that lady; and then she added, "Go into the kitchen and get some of the pasty and some bread and cheese--there's a good girl.""All right!" said Goneril.

Madame Petrucci stopped her vocalising. "You shall have all the better a dinner to compensate you, my Gonerilla!" She smiled sweetly, and then again became Zerlina.

Goneril cut her lunch, and took it out of doors to share with her companion, Angiolino. He was harvesting the first corn under the olives, but at noon it was too hot to work. Sitting still there was, however, a cool breeze that gently stirred the sharp-edged olive- leaves.

Angiolino lay down at full length and munched his bread and cheese in perfect happiness. Goneril kept shifting about to get herself into the narrow shadow cast by the split and writhen trunk.

"How aggravating it is!" she cried. "In England, where there's no sun, there's plenty of shade; and here, where the sun is like a mustard- plaster on one's back, the leaves are all set edgewise on purpose that they sha'n't cast any shadow!"Angiolino made no answer to this intelligent remark.

"He is going to sleep again!" cried Goneril, stopping her lunch in despair. "He is going to sleep, and there are no end of things I want toknow. Angiolino!"

"/Si/, signora," murmured the boy. "Tell me about Signor Graziano." "He is our padrone; he is never here.""But he is coming to-day. Wake up, wake up, Angiolino. I tell you, he is on the way!""Between life and death there are so many combinations," drawled the boy, with Tuscan incredulity and sententiousness.

"Ah!" cried the girl, with a little shiver of impatience. "Is he young?" "/Che!/""Is he old then?" "/Neppure!/"

"What is he like? He must be /something/.""He's our padrone," repeated Angiolino, in whose imagination Signor Graziano could occupy no other place.

"How stupid you are!" exclaimed the young English girl. "Maybe," said Angiolino, stolidly.

"Is he a good padrone? Do you like him?"

"Rather!" The boy smiled and raised himself on one elbow; his eyes twinkled with good-humoured malice.

"My /babbo/ had much better wine than /quel signore/," he said. "But that is wrong!" cried Goneril, quite shocked.

"Who knows?"

After this conversation flagged. Goneril tried to imagine what a great musician could be like: long hair, of course; her imagination did not get much beyond the hair. He would of course be much older now than his portrait. Then she watched Angiolino cutting the corn, and learned how to tie the swathes together. She was occupied in this useful employment when the noise of wheels made them both stop and look over the wall.

"Here's the padrone!" cried the boy.

"Oh, he is old!" said Goneril. "He is old and brown, like a coffee- bean.""To be old and good is better than youth with malice," suggested Angiolino, by way of consolation.

"I suppose so," acquiesced Goneril.

Nevertheless she went in to dinner a little disappointed.

同类推荐
  • 青原愚者智禅师语录

    青原愚者智禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 推拿抉微

    推拿抉微

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Rupert of Hentzau

    Rupert of Hentzau

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道应训

    道应训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太微八景箓

    太微八景箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 妖孽驸马霸道妃

    妖孽驸马霸道妃

    冰兰此生有三大乐趣——吃美食、看美男、聊八卦!二大标准——吃好喝好玩好,穿好用好住好!一朝穿越,成为不受宠的小媳妇,离生活的标准实在太远,果断逃跑之。“冰兰,你到底在搞什么?”新婚之夜,瞪着围墙下的红衣女子,南宫凌快疯了!洞房花烛夜新娘子竟然逃跑!“我想你大概需要洞房,门在那边……柳姐姐胸大屁股大好生养,一定能满足你的……”身为男人的自尊受到严重打击,眼睛一眯,他还不走了!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 星航时代

    星航时代

    浩瀚星空,种族林立,弱肉强食,只有强者才可为王。
  • 空间之绣女的幸福生活

    空间之绣女的幸福生活

    宁玉瑶一朝穿越,成了一个小奶娃。那又怎样?家有先生爹,贤惠娘,还有两个妹控哥,一家子美好又幸福。再加上自己种种田,养养花,还有玉佩空间可修真!嗯,就缺一个相伴相依的恋人了!咦?爹爹,两位哥哥,你们为什么用白眼看我身边这男人!本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。
  • 二次元之重回巅峰

    二次元之重回巅峰

    主角从最高位面被人设计,无奈被师傅送入转世之门,结果变成女孩纸了!那么主角是被吃掉呢还是去百合呢。。。其实,我也不知道,想知道就看呗
  • 蓝锁晴

    蓝锁晴

    内容;五年前,林靖雪用他的阳光温暖她,可六年的分离让一切变淡;
  • 星域斗

    星域斗

    和平的世界却因为一个外星来客的操纵开始纷争不断,地球上的生物因为不知名的原因产生变异。本应该天生体弱多病的少年,却因一场突如其来的怪雨而改变了他的生活。以最差修仙资质入门的他,如何能够在乱世之中立足,最终冲出仙人布下的枷锁。
  • 我命由我不由天:异界流氓

    我命由我不由天:异界流氓

    对美女:咱俩就好比两堆干柴,你那头燎得挺旺,我这一泡尿把火尿灭了!对敌人:是鬼别装人,是人别装神,是B别装紧,是货别装纯。对老天:我命由我不由天、天欲灭我我灭天!现代的一名流氓头子穿越到异世大陆,且看他是如何搅乱异世大陆,赢得众美芳心!
  • 招远县志

    招远县志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 签约夫妻:首席我要离婚

    签约夫妻:首席我要离婚

    这场婚姻她一步一算计,最终在自己的算计中丢盔卸甲螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后,她从来都不是她以为的黄雀…你想要什么‘’很简单,做汪夫人‘’哦‘汪邵良嗤笑’你有哪些让我同意的‘条件呢?’.......................他愿意在她需要的时候,任她安排他的所有。他愿意在她想要的时候,拱手相让他的所有。却决不允许,她擅自逃离更不同意,...........离婚。
  • 我家萝莉是妖精

    我家萝莉是妖精

    一个萝莉,纯爱的化身,却是一个地地道道的妖精。我叫莫小剑,大学即将毕业,偶遇萝莉妖精,从此生活发生了翻天覆地的变化……