After the procession had passed and had reentered the church by a side door which was out of Fabrizio’s sight, the heat soon became intense even up in the belfry; the inhabitants returned to their homes, and a great silence fell upon the village. Several boats took on board loads of contadini returning to Bellagio, Menaggio and other villages situated on the lake; Fabrizio could distinguish the sound of each stroke of the oars: so simple a detail as this sent him into an ecstasy; his present joy was composed of all the unhappiness, all the irritation that he found in the complicated life of a court. How happy he would have been at this moment to be sailing for a league over that beautiful lake which looked so calm and reflected so clearly the depth of the sky above! He heard the door at the foot of the campanile opened: it was the Priore’s old servant who brought in a great hamper, and he had all the difficulty in the world in restraining himself from speaking to her. “She is almost as fond of me as her master,” he said to himself, “and besides, I am leaving tonight at nine o’clock; would she not keep the oath of secrecy I should make her swear, if only for a few hours? But,” Fabrizio reminded himself, “I should be vexing my friend! I might get him into trouble with the police!” and he let Ghita go without speaking to her. He made an excellent dinner, then settled himself down to sleep for a few minutes; he did not awake until half-past eight in the evening; the Priore Blanès was shaking him by the arm, it was dark.
Blanès was extremely tired, and looked fifty years older than the night before. He said nothing more about serious matters, sitting in his wooden armchair. “Embrace me,” he said to Fabrizio. He clasped him again and again in his arms. “Death,” he said at last, “which is coming to put an end to this long life, will have nothing about it so painful as this separation. I have a purse which I shall leave in Ghita’s custody, with orders to draw on it for her own needs, but to hand over to you what is left, should you ever come to ask for it. I know her; after those instructions, she is capable, from economy on your behalf, of not buying meat four times in the year, if you do not give her quite definite orders. You may yourself be reduced to penury, and the obol of your aged friend will be of service to you. Expect nothing from your brother but atrocious behaviour, and try to earn money by some work which will make you useful to society. I foresee strange storms; perhaps, in fifty years’ time, the world will have no more room for idlers! Your mother and aunt may fail you, your sisters will have to obey their husbands. … Away with you, away with you, fly!” exclaimed Blanès urgently; he had just heard a little sound in the clock which warned him that ten was about to strike, and he would not even allow Fabrizio to give him a farewell embrace.
“Hurry, hurry!” he cried to him; “it will take you at least a minute to get down the stair; take care not to fall, that would be a terrible omen.” Fabrizio dashed down the staircase and emerging on to the piazza began to run. He had scarcely arrived opposite his father’s castle when the bell sounded ten times; each stroke reverberated in his bosom, where it left a singular sense of disturbance. He stopped to think, or rather to give himself up to the passionate feelings inspired in him by the contemplation of that majestic edifice which he had judged so coldly the night before. He was recalled from his musings by the sound of footsteps; he looked up and found himself surrounded by four constables. He had a brace of excellent pistols, the priming of which he had renewed while he dined; the slight sound that he made in cocking them attracted the attention of one of the constables, and he was within an inch of being arrested. He saw the danger he ran, and decided to fire the first shot; he would be justified in doing so, for this was the sole method open to him of resisting four well armed men. Fortunately, the constables, who were going round to clear the osterie, had not shown themselves altogether irresponsive to the hospitality that they had received in several of those sociable resorts; they did not make up their minds quickly enough to do their duty. Fabrizio took to his heels and ran. The constables went a few yards, running also, and shouting “Stop! Stop!” then everything relapsed into silence. After every three hundred yards Fabrizio halted to recover his breath. “The sound of my pistols nearly made me get caught; this is just the sort of thing that would make the Duchessa tell me, should it ever be granted me to see her lovely eyes again, that my mind finds pleasure in contemplating what is going to happen in ten years’ time, and forgets to lookout for what is actually happening beneath my nose.”
Fabrizio shuddered at the thought of the danger he had just escaped; he increased his pace, and presently found himself impelled to run, which was not over-prudent, as it attracted the attention of
