TWO GENTLEMEN FROM VERONA
It was May in the Tuscany Hills; blue distances; a rolling horizon; a
sky rimmed like a broken cup; a shallow, winding river, gleaming
fitfully in the sun; a compact city in a valley, a city of red-tiled
roofs, of domes and towers and palaces, of ruined ivy-grown walls and
battlements; shades of Michelangelo and Dante and Machiavelli, the
Borgias and the Medicis: Florence, the city of flowers.
Upon a hill, perhaps three miles to the northeast of the city, stood the
ancient Etruscan town of Fiesole. The flat white road which passes
through the heart of the village leads into the mountains beyond. Here
one sees an occasional villa, surrounded by high walls of stone,
plastered in white or pink, half hidden in roses, great, bloomy,
sweet-scented roses, which of their quality and abundance rule the
kingdom of flowers, as Florence once ruled the kingdom of art and
learning.
The Villa Ariadne rested upon a small knoll half a mile or more north of
and above Fiesole, from which the panoramic beauty of Florence was to be
seen at all times, glistening in the sun, glowing in the rain, sparkling
in the night. A terrace reached to the very frontal walls, which were
twelve feet above the road. On the other side of the road swept down
abruptly a precipitous ravine, dangerous to careless riders. A small
stream dashed north, twisted, and joined the Mugnone, which in turn
emptied into the drab waters of the Arno.
The villa was white and cool in the shade of dark cypresses and beeches
and pink-blossomed horse-chestnuts. There were beds and gardens of
flowers, and behind the villa a forest spread out and upward to the very
top of the overshadowing mountain. The gates and the porter's lodge were
at that end of the confines nearest Fiesole. The old gardener and his
wife lived in the lodge, earning an extra lira now and then by escorting
tourists through the park and exhibiting the Della Robias, the Hadrian
mosaic, the fountain by Donatello, and some antique marbles, supposed to
have been restored by Michelangelo. He never permitted any one to touch
these glories. Periodically the agents of the government paid a visit to
ascertain that none of these treasures had been sold or removed. The old
gardener spoke some English.
Life ran smoothly enough at the Villa Ariadne. La Signorina, at the very
last moment, surrendered to the entreaties of Kitty. She agreed not to
pass herself off as the princess. So they occupied the villa pleasurably
and in safety. The police, as prescribed by law, made two visits and had
gone away satisfied that, however odd they might be, the temporary
tenants were proper persons. Among themselves each played the role
originally assigned. It was innocent fun now, and La Signorina seemed to
enjoy the farce as much as any one. It was a great temptation not to
prowl round the forbidden rooms, not to steal a look into the marvelous
chests and sideboards, bulging as they knew with priceless glass and
silver and linen and laces. But La Signorina each day inspected the
seals and uttered solemn warnings.
There was only one in this strange medley of persons who was not
contented with his lot, who cared not if the letter from home never came
at all, and this person was Worth. To set down the trouble briefly, he
was desperately in love with La Signorina; and the knowledge of how
hopeless this passion was, together with the frequent efforts he had put
forth to repress the ardent declaration, were making him taciturn and
solitary. La Signorina never went down to Florence, not even to Fiesole;
so Worth never joined his companions when they took, pleasant excursions
into the city.
As one fences in the dark, instinctively, so she kept him a foil's
length away. Yet she would have been glad had he spoken; she could have
silenced him effectually then. It was rather nerve-racking to wait for
this unwelcome declaration day by day. They had now lived in the Villa
Ariadne for two weeks, a careless, thoughtless, happy-go-lucky family.
The gossip might have looked askance at them; but La Signorina would not
have cared and the others would not have thought.
Every afternoon at two o'clock O'Mally and the ancient gardener would
get together and give each other lessons, the one in English and the
other in Italian. When this was done, a small flask of Chianti was
forthcoming, and the old man enjoyed himself as he hadn't done since his
youth: a pipe of good tobacco and two glasses of Chianti. It was enough
for any reasonable man. He never inquired where the wine came from;
sufficient it was to him that it came at all. And O'Mally saw no reason
for discovering its source; in fact, he admired Pietro's reticence. For,
like Planchet in the immortal _Three Musketeers_, O'Mally had done some
neat fishing through one of the cellar windows. Through the broken pane
of glass he could see bin upon bin of dust-covered bottles, Burgundy,
claret, Sauterne, champagne, and no end of cordials, prime vintages
every one of them. And here they were, useless to any one, turning into
jelly from old age. It was sad. It was more than that--it was a blessed
shame. All these bottles were, unfortunately, on the far side of the
cellar, out of reach, and he dared not break another window. Under this
which served him lay the bin of Chianti. This was better than nothing;
and the princess would never miss the few bottles he purloined.
Sometimes he shared a bottle with Smith, who was equally incurious.
To-day was warm and mellow. On the stone bench by the porter's lodge,
hard by the gate, sat the old Florentine and O'Mally. From some unknown
source O'Mally had produced a concierge's hat and coat, a little
moth-eaten, a little tarnished, but serviceable. Both were smoking
red-clay pipes with long bamboo stems.
"Pietro," said O'Mally, teetering, "have you ever waited for money from
home?"
Pietro puffed studiously, separating each word with all the care of a
naturalist opening the wings of some new butterfly. He made a negative
sign.
"Well, don't you ever wait. There's nothing to it. But I've got an
idea."
Pietro expressed some surprise.
"Yes, and a good idea, too. If any tourists come to-day, I propose to
show them round the place." O'Mally was quite in earnest.
Pietro's eyes flashed angrily. "No, no! Mine, all mine!"
"Oh, I'm not going to rob you. I'll give you the tips, _amico_. What I
want is the fun of the thing. _Comprendery?_"
Pietro understood; that was different. If his Excellency would pay over
to him the receipts, he could conduct the tourists as often as he
pleased. Yes. To him it was tiresome. Most people were fools.
"Let's begin the lesson, then."
"_Come sta?_" said Pietro, shifting his pipe.
"That's howdy do," said O'Mally. "How is your wife?"
"That ees _Come sta vostra_!"
Pause.
"_Che tempo fa?_" said Pietro suddenly.
O'Mally frowned and jammed down the coal in his pipe. "Who--no, how!--is
the weather. Who can say? _Che lo sa?_"
"_Bene!_"
Solemnly they went over the same ground. To be sure, O'Mally always
failed to get the right twist to the final vowels, but he could make
himself understood, and that was the main thing. It was a rare moment to
him at night to strike Smith dumb by asking in Italian for a match, a
cigar, or a book. Smith wondered how he did it; but when asked to join
the primary class at the porter's lodge, he always excused himself by
saying that he was deep in the writing of a comedy, which was true. If
there was a play in one's system, the Villa Ariadne was sure to bring it
out.
Having finished the lesson for that day, they shared the flask of wine.
"It is old, Pietro," said O'Mally.
"_Vecchio, anticato_," responded Pietro with grave satisfaction.
"Hold on, now; this is no lesson. You talk English. Now about this guide
business. You will let me be guide if I turn over the profits; that is
agreed?"
"Yes." Pietro wished the flask had been twice as large.
"All right; that's fixed. By the way, Pietro, did you ever see the
princess?"
Pietro looked into the bowl of his pipe. "No; she not come here; never."
"Hum! I should, if I owned a place like this."
"Trouble."
"Trouble? How?"
"I not know. But trouble she come bime-by."
"Rats!" There was not a cloud in the sky, so far as O'Mally could see.
And what trouble could possibly befall them?
"Sh!" said Pietro.
The porter's bell rang loudly.
"Tourists!" whispered O'Mally, sliding off the bench and buttoning up
his coat. "Remember I am the guide; you get the lire."
Surely Pietro understood, but he was nervous, doubting the ability of
this novice to demand the right sum for his labor.
O'Mally settled his cap on straight and went to the gates and opened
them. A party of five Americans stood outside--two men, two women, and a
girl of twelve or fourteen. The whole party wore that eager look, now
familiar to O'Mally, of persons who intended to see everything if they
eventually died for it.
"This is the Villa Ariadne?" asked one of the women. She wore eyeglasses
and had a bitter expression.
"It is," said O'Mally, touching his cap.
"He speaks English!" cried the woman, turning joyfully to the others.
"We wish to see the villa and the park."
"The villa is now occupied, signora," replied O'Mally; "but you are
permitted to see the park and gardens."
"How much?" asked one of the men.
"_Cinquanty_," said O'Mally; then correcting himself, "for each person."
"Ten cents? Two lire fifty? Why, this is downright extortion!" declared
the woman with the eyeglasses. She was vehement, too.
O'Mally gave vent to a perfect Italian shrug, and put a hand out
suggestively toward the gates.
"Oh, come, dear," protested one of the men wearily; "you've dragged us
up here from Fiesole and I'm not going back without seeing what's to be
seen."
"That's like you men; always willing to be robbed rather than stand upon
your rights. But I vow that you weak men will ruin travel by giving in
all the time."
The man at whom this brief jeremiad was hurled painfully counted out two
lire fifty, which was immediately transferred to the palm of the guide,
who ushered the wayfarers in.
Solemnly Pietro watched them pass, wondering what the terms were.
O'Mally led the party to the fountain.
"What's this?" asked the woman.
"This," O'Mally began, with a careless wave of the hand, "is the famed
fountain by Donatello. It was originally owned by Catherine d'Medissy.
The Borgias stole it from her, and Italy and France nearly came to war
over it."
"The Borgias?" doubtfully. "Were these two families contemporaneous?"
"They were," scornfully. "These Borgias were not the head of the family,
however. Finally it fell into the hands of the first Prince d' Monty
Bianchy, and it has stood where you see it for three hundred years. It
is considered the finest specimen of its kind. The Italian government
has offered fabulous sums for it."
"I thought the government could force the sale of these things?"
"There has been some litigation over this property, consequently the
government can do nothing till the courts have settled the matter,"
recited O'Mally glibly.
"Oh."
The quintet consulted their guide-books, but before they had located the
paragraph referring to this work, O'Mally was cunningly leading them on
to the Della Robbias which hung in the ruined pavilion. With a grand yet
familiar air he declaimed over the marvelous beauties of this peculiar
clay with an eloquence which was little short of masterful. He passed on
to the antique marbles, touching them lightly and explaining how this
one was Nero's, that one Caligula's, that one Tiberius'. He lied so
easily and gracefully that, wherever it rested, the tomb of Ananias must
have rocked. And whenever his victims tried to compare his statements
with those in the guide-books, he was extolling some other treasure.
They finally put the guide-books under their arms and trusted in the
kindness of Providence.
"Do you know," said the woman who had not yet spoken, "you speak English
remarkably well? There is an accent I do not quite understand."
O'Mally shivered for a moment. Was she going to spring Dago on him? "I
am Italian," he said easily. "I was born, however, in County Clare. My
father and mother were immigrants to Ireland." His face was as solemn as
an owl's.
"That explains it."
O'Mally took a new lease of life. "Now let me show you the Hadrian
mosaic, from the Villa Hadrian in Tivoli, out of Rome." He swept back
the sand. "Is it not magnificent?"
"Looks like a linoleum pattern," was the comment of one of the men.
"You are not far from right," said O'Mally. "It was from this very
mosaic that the American linoleums were originally designed."
"Indeed!" said the woman with the glasses.
"Yes, Signora."
"Ma," whispered the girl, "ask him for one of those buttons."
The stage-whisper was overheard by O'Mally. "These buttons," he
explained, "cost a lira each; but if the signorina really wishes
one--" And thus another lira swelled the profits of the day. O'Mally
wondered if he ought not to keep this one lira since it was off his own
coat and not Pietro's.
On the balcony of the villa appeared two women. The woman with the
glasses at once discovered them.
"Who is that handsome woman?" she demanded.
O'Mally paled slightly. "That," touching his cap respectfully, "is her
Highness, La Principessy d' Monty Bianchy, the owner of the Villa
Ariadne." Ha! He had them here.
The tourists stared at the balcony. A real live princess! They no longer
regretted the two lire fifty. This was something worth while.
"We did not know that the princess lived here."
"It is but a temporary visit. She is here incognito. You must not repeat
what I have told you," was O'Mally's added warning.
On the balcony the two women were talking quietly.
"What in the world is that man O'Mally up to now?" said La Signorina
curiously.
"Can't you see?" replied Kitty. "He is acting as guide in Pietro's
place."
"Merciful heavens!" La Signorina retired, stifling her laughter.
At the gates O'Mally received his _pourboire_ of twenty centesimi, saw
his charge outside, closed and locked the gates, and returned to Pietro,
who was in a greatly agitated state of mind.
"_Quando!_" he cried.
O'Mally handed him the exact amount, minus the lira for the button.
"_Santa Maria!_ All thees? How? No more I take dem; you!"
O'Mally sat down on the bench and laughed. It was as good a part as he
had ever had.
* * * * *
Early evening. La Signorina leaned over the terrace wall, her hand idly
trailing over the soft cool roses. Afar down the valley shimmered the
lights of Florence. There were no outlines; no towers, no domes, no
roofs were visible; nothing but the dim haze upon which the lights
serenely floated. It might have been a harbor in the peace of night. To
the south, crowning the hills with a faint halo, the moon, yet hidden,
was rising across the heavens. Stretched out on either hand, white and
shadowy, lay the great road. She was dreaming. Presently upon the
silence came the echo of galloping horses. She listened. The sound came
from the north. It died away, only to return again sharply, and this
time without echo. Two horsemen came cantering toward the Villa Ariadne.
They drew down to a walk, and she watched them carelessly. It was not
long before they passed under her. She heard their voices.
"Jack, this has been the trip of my life. Verona, Padua, Bologna, and
now Florence! This is life; nothing like it."
"I am glad, Dan. It has been enjoyable. I only hope our luggage will be
at the hotel for us. Twelve days in riding-breeches are quite enough for
a single stretch."
La Signorina's hand closed convulsively over a rose, and crushed it. The
vine, as she did so, gave forth a rustling sound. The men turned and
glanced up. They saw a woman dimly. That was all.
"A last canter to Fiesole!"
"Off she goes!"
The two went clattering down the road.
La Signorina released the imprisoned rose, and, unmindful of the prick
of the thorn, walked slowly back to the villa. It was fatality that this
man should again cross her path.