ANNUNZIATA SOLARA.
It was a bright, warm afternoon in spring, and the Piazza del Popolo,
Rome's great promenade, was crowded with gay pleasure-seekers of both
sexes, while the Corso and the two other principal thoroughfares
diverging from this extensive public square were also thronged with
young and old. The trees were covered with fresh green foliage, and
multitudes of blooming flowers adorned the Piazza and the windows of the
adjacent palaces and humble dwellings. Sounds of joy and mirth were
heard on every side, while now and then strains of soft music were
audible. It was truly a most inspiring scene of light and life.
Flirtations were frequent between beautiful dark-visaged girls, with
hair and eyes like night, in their picturesque attire, and manly-looking
youthful gallants, while here and there sullen and sombre glances spoke
of jealousy as fierce as fire, hinting of marital vengeance and love
tragedies characteristic of the hot-blooded, impetuous Italians.
In the midst of the throng on the Piazza two youths were strolling, arm
in arm. They were the Viscount Giovanni Massetti and Esperance, the son
of Monte-Cristo. Fast friends they seemed, and gayly they chatted as
they passed leisurely along. Their spirits were in full harmony with
the animated scene around them, and they were evidently not insensible
to the charms of the many pretty maidens they encountered and upon whom
they cast admiring glances.
Suddenly a peasant girl of dazzling beauty appeared in the Piazza very
near them. She was apparently about seventeen, glowing with sturdy
health, her full cheeks the hue of the red rose. Her sleeves, rolled
above the elbows, displayed perfect arms that would have been the envy
of a sculptor. Her feet were bare and her short skirts afforded dazzling
glimpses of finely turned ankles and limbs of almost faultless form. Her
face had a cheery and agreeable expression, not unmixed with piquant
archness and a sort of dainty, bewitching coquetry. She was a
flower-girl, and was vending bouquets from a basket jauntily borne on
one arm. She addressed herself glibly to the young men she met, offering
her wares so demurely and modestly that she seldom failed in finding
appreciation and liberal customers. There was not even a suspicion of
boldness or sauciness about her, but she had that entire self-possession
engendered by thorough familiarity with her somewhat risky and perilous
vocation.
Giovanni and Esperance caught sight of her simultaneously. Both were
struck by her appearance and demeanor, to which her gaudy but neat and
clean peasant costume gave additional eclat.
"What a handsome girl!" exclaimed Esperance, involuntarily.
"A divinity!" replied the Viscount, excitedly.
Then they glanced at each other and laughed, evidently rather ashamed
of the admiration they had so enthusiastically expressed.
"Her first words, however, will scatter the illusion to the winds," said
Esperance, cynically. "She is, no doubt, as ignorant as she is pretty."
"Quite likely," rejoined Giovanni. "The outside beauty of these peasant
girls generally conceals much internal coarseness, not to say
depravity."
They were about pursuing their way, when the girl advanced, offering
them her bouquets. Her voice was so sweet, so melodious, so deliciously
modulated, that the young men paused in spite of themselves. She stood
in a most graceful attitude, her parted coral lips exhibiting teeth as
white and glittering as pearls. A subtile magnetism seemed to exhale
from her that was not without its influence upon the two youths.
Besides, her words did not betoken that ignorance alluded to by
Esperance or that depravity the Viscount had spoken of.
"Buy some bouquets for your fair sweethearts, signors," she said. "They
will gladden their hearts, for the perfume speaks of love!"
"Love!" exclaimed Giovanni, smiling at her earnestness and poetic
language. "What do you know of love?"
"Ah! signor," she answered, blushing deeply and averting her eyes, "what
girl does not know of love! Even the meanest peasant feels the arrow of
the little blind god!"
The young men were amused and interested. Though belonging to the lower
class, this poor flower-girl had certainly received some education and
was endowed with a fair share of the finer feelings. Esperance felt
attracted towards her, and Giovanni experienced a fascination not
difficult to account for. Separated from Zuleika, filled with a lover's
despair, the ardent Viscount was not averse to a little flirtation, more
or less innocent. Here was his opportunity; he would cultivate this
romantic and handsome girl's acquaintance. Where was the harm? He did
not design being unfaithful to Zuleika, and this piquant peasant would
be none the worse for brightening some of his sad hours. No doubt she
was accessible and would welcome such a diversion, especially as he
would pour gold liberally into her lap.
"I will buy some flowers of you, my girl," he said, encouragingly.
"Here is a beautiful bouquet, signor," said the girl, smiling joyously
at the prospect of making a profitable sale, and handing him a
magnificent selection of fragrant buds and bloom.
Giovanni took the bouquet and, at the same time, gently pressed the
girl's taper fingers. They were soft and velvety to his touch. A
delightful thrill shot through him at the contact. The flower-girl
evinced no displeasure. Clearly she was accustomed to such advances. The
Viscount slipped a gold coin of considerable value into her hand, again
experiencing the delightful thrill.
"This is too much, signor," said the girl, looking at the coin, "and I
have not the change. You must wait a moment until I get it."
"Never mind the change," answered Giovanni. "Keep the whole."
The girl looked astonished at such liberality, then a joyous smile
overspread her beautiful visage.
"Oh! thank you, thank you ever so much, signor," she said, effusively,
the color deepening on her tempting cheeks. Giovanni with difficulty
restrained himself from kissing them.
"What is your name, my girl?" he asked, as she moved to depart.
"Annunziata Solara, signor," she replied, surprised that such a question
should be asked her.
"Where do you live?"
"In the country, just beyond the Trastavere."
"Do you live alone?"
"No; with my father, Pasquale Solara."
"What is his occupation?"
"He is a shepherd, signor."
The girl bowed to the two young men and, with a glance at Giovanni that
set his blood tingling in his veins, passed on and was speedily lost in
the throng of promenaders.
Esperance, who had watched this scene with amused curiosity, broke into
a hearty laugh as the Viscount turned towards him with something very
like a sigh.
"Giovanni," said he, "the pretty Annunziata Solara has bewitched you!"
"Not quite so much as that, Esperance," replied the young Italian. "But
she is a glorious creature, isn't she?"
"Yes, as far as looks go; but all is not gold that glitters, and this
fair Annunziata may turn out a perfect fiend or fury upon a closer
acquaintance!"
Giovanni gave his friend a glance of reproach.
"Do not insult her with such wretched insinuations," he replied, warmly.
Esperance smiled and said:
"You are smitten with her, that's plain!"
"I am not, but I admire her as I would anything beautiful."
"Put it as you please. At any rate, you will hardly be likely to see her
again. She was a vision and has faded."
"But I do not intend to lose sight of her."
"You do not mean to say that you design seeking her out?"
"That is exactly what I mean to say."
Esperance looked at his friend quizzically and, at the same time,
uneasily.
"When do you design seeking her out?"
"This very night."
"In the Trastavere?"
"No. You did not hear her aright. She said she lived in the country,
just beyond the Trastavere. I will seek her there."
"What! Alone?"
"Alone."
"Beware, Giovanni! Her bright eyes may lead you into danger! How do you
know that she has not some fierce brigand lover, who will meet you with
a stiletto?"
"Nonsense! Your fears are childish!"
"I am not so sure of that. The country beyond the Trastavere is
infested by daring robbers, who would not hesitate to seize you and hold
you for a ransom. Only the other day the notorious Luigi Vampa performed
just such an exploit, exacting a very large sum for the release of his
prisoner, who was a wealthy nobleman like yourself."
"I will take the chances!"
"You are mad!"
"I am not. I have no fear of brigands. They would not dare to lay even a
finger upon a Massetti!"
The young Viscount drew himself up proudly as he spoke. He believed the
power of his family invincible.
Esperance was at a total loss to understand the firm hold this sudden
infatuation had taken upon his friend. Of course, he fully comprehended
the influence of female beauty over hot, headstrong youth, and he
acknowledged to himself that Annunziata was really very beautiful and
alluring; still, she was not more so than hosts of other girls who would
be glad to win a smile from the Viscount Massetti at almost any price,
and whose pursuit would be altogether unattended with danger. It was
well known that the shrewd brigands frequently sent handsome young women
to Rome to entice their prey to them, and might not Annunziata Solara,
with all her apparent demureness, be one of those dangerous Delilahs?
After several further attempts to dissuade the Viscount from the rash
venture he had decided upon making, all of which were vain, Esperance
resolved that his impetuous friend should not go alone that night in
quest of the fascinating Annunziata. He would follow him unseen and
endeavor to protect him should the necessity arise. He knew the
Viscount's nature too thoroughly to propose accompanying him, as such a
proposition would undoubtedly be received with scorn, if not as an
absolute insult. He would, however, keep track of him and, if all went
well, Massetti would be none the wiser. If, on the contrary, his aid
should be needed, he could come forward and give it. In that event,
gratitude on the Viscount's part would prevent him from demanding an
explanation of his presence.
Meanwhile the young men had continued their stroll and had passed from
the Piazza del Popolo to the Corso. Giovanni was taciturn and moody. He
looked straight ahead, failing to notice the gayly attired beauties
thronging that great thoroughfare, who at ordinary times would have
engrossed his attention. Not so with Esperance; he admired the vivacious
ladies on the sidewalk or in their handsome carriages drawn by spirited
horses. Now and then he recognized an acquaintance among them and bowed,
but Giovanni recognized no one. He seemed plunged in a reverie that
nothing could break. Scarcely did he reply to Esperance's occasional
remarks, and when he did so it was with the air of a man whose thoughts
are far away.
At the broad portico of the magnificent Palazzo Massetti, Esperance, the
son of Monte-Cristo bade his friend farewell. As he turned to depart, he
said:
"Is your determination still unaltered, do you yet intend to seek
Annunziata Solara in the country beyond the Trastavere?"
Giovanni glanced at him keenly, as he replied, somewhat impatiently:
"My determination is unaltered. I shall seek her!"
"To-night?"
"To-night!"
Esperance said nothing further, but departed, full of sad forebodings.
He felt a premonition of evil, and was certain that his infatuated
friend would meet with some dire mishap during the romantic and
hazardous expedition of that night. It was now quite late, and the young
man hurriedly bent his steps towards the Palazzo Costi, maturing his
plan as he walked along. He would inform the Count of Monte-Cristo that
he had been invited to accompany some friends on a pleasure excursion,
requesting his permission to absent himself from Rome for a few days.
This permission obtained, he would assume the garb of an Italian
peasant, make his way to the Ponte St. Angelo and there, in the shadow
of the bridge, await the coming of the Viscount Massetti. When the
latter had passed his place of concealment, he would follow him at a
distance, keeping him in view and watching him closely.
Monte-Cristo made no objection to his son's proposed absence, and the
young man, after a hasty supper, hurried to his sleeping chamber, where
he soon assumed a peasant's dress he had worn at a recent masquerade.
Stepping in front of a toilet mirror, he applied a stain to his face,
giving it the color of that of a sunburnt tiller of the fields. When his
disguise was completed, he surveyed himself triumphantly in the glass.
Even his father could not have recognized him, so radically had he
altered his appearance.
Gaining the street by a private door without being observed, he was
speedily at the bridge. As he stepped into the shadow of one of the
abutments, he heard the great clock of the Vatican strike seven. It was
twilight, but everything around him was as plainly visible as in broad
day. He glanced in every direction. No sign of Giovanni. Had the ardent
young Viscount already crossed the Tiber?
He thought not, and waited patiently for a quarter of an hour. Still no
sign. Then he began to grow anxious. Massetti had certainly passed over
the bridge and he had missed him. He waited a few minutes longer,
devoured by impatience and anxiety. At last he reached the conclusion
that Giovanni had preceded him, had gone on alone, unprotected. He must
have done so; otherwise he would certainly have appeared ere this. The
thought was torture. To what unknown, what deadly perils was he exposing
himself amid the marshes without the city walls? But perhaps he had not
yet left the city walls behind him! A ray of hope came to Esperance. If
Massetti were still within the limits of the Trastavere, he might by
using due speed overtake him! He would make the attempt at any rate. As
he formed this resolution, he emerged from the shadow of the abutment.
At that instant a man came upon the bridge and passed him. He passed so
closely that they almost touched, uttering a suppressed oath at finding
an intruder in his path. His pace was rapid, so rapid that he was soon
far away. He had not even looked at Esperance, and it seemed to the
latter that he had endeavored to conceal his face. The man was of
Giovanni's size and had Giovanni's bearing, but there the resemblance
ended. He was certainly a peasant; his attire betokened it; besides, his
countenance, of which Esperance had caught a glimpse, was rough and
tanned. The son of Monte-Cristo felt a pang of keen disappointment; then
he glanced at his own garments, thought of his own stained visage, and a
revelation came to him like a flash of lightning--the man was
Giovanni--Giovanni in disguise! He hurriedly looked after his retiring
figure; it was now but a mere speck in the distance, scarcely
discernible in the fading twilight. He started swiftly in pursuit,
almost running across the bridge. After a hot and weary chase, he at
length gained so much on the object of his solicitude that he was as
near as he deemed it prudent to approach. He was now sure that the man
ahead of him was the Viscount Massetti.
Esperance paused a second to recover his breath; then he went on at a
slower pace. The pursued had not discovered the pursuit; he trudged
along steadily and sturdily, never once looking back. Thus the two men
crossed the Trastavere, and each in turn, emerging from a gate in the
wall of the Leonine City, passed out into the marshy country beyond.
They had not gone very far, when Esperance saw Giovanni suddenly give a
start; at the same time he heard a loud, harsh voice cry out:
"In the name of Luigi Vampa, halt!"
Straining his eyes, Esperance finally succeeded in piercing the
semi-darkness of the surroundings, and perceived a gigantic ruffian, who
wore a black mask, standing in the centre of the road and presenting a
pistol at the head of the man he had every reason to believe was
Giovanni Massetti.