Peppino paid no attention: he was off and busy superintending the preparations for the contraddanza.

Eight couples stood in the middle of the room, s.p.a.ce being made for them by removing the chairs they left unoccupied, and by the remaining guests packing themselves more closely into the corners. The dancers stood in a circle, men and women alternately, and the circle sometimes became a square, as in a quadrille, and sometimes two parallel rows, as in Sir Roger de Coverley. One of the men dancers, shouting in dialect, gave short staccato directions which the others carried out. This brightened up the party, and some of the women began to look less gloomy, but a week of contraddanze would not have brought the best of them up to the standard of Brancaccia. I approached her and said--

"Signorina, will you do me the favour of dancing with me?"

Another man was about to make a similar request and the girl might have been in a difficulty had not Peppino, who happened to be hovering near, made a gesture and taken the other man away. She rose and we danced a waltz. As we went round and round I saw Peppino talking with the other man and watching us, and then it flashed into my head that he had planned all this. He and Brancaccia were in love with one another, any one could tell that, and he wanted me to meet her so that he could talk to me about her afterwards. I said to Brancaccia--

"What is Peppino saying to the gentleman?"

She, looking up and smiling, in an amused and friendly way, said--

"Oh! Peppino is always talking to people."

"Some of them seem to enjoy his conversation."

"Do you mean the gentleman?" she said, looking away.

"No, I do not," I replied, and she blushed delightfully.

As I led her back to her seat, I said, "If Peppino asks me about my partner, I shall tell him that I have just danced with the most beautiful and charming young lady in the world, and that her future husband, whoever he may be, will be an extremely fortunate man."

She replied, "Thank you very much, but I do not suppose Peppino will ask you anything about me."

"I shall tell him what I think of you whether he asks me or not," said I, bowing.

It was now nearly two o'clock and I got Peppino to take me away.

Remembering what Brancaccia had said, I began at once--

"What a wonderfully beautiful and charming girl Brancaccia is; she seems to me to be the most desirable young lady I have ever met." There was a pause, and I added, "You are a bachelor, Peppino, Brancaccia is unmarried and she is quite different from all the other young ladies."

"That," he replied, "is what says my mother. But womans it is always like that. First she will be mother, not satisfied; then she will be grandmother, not satisfied."

"Of course, if you are too much occupied there is an end of the matter.

But, you know, you have as much time as any one else, twenty-four hours in the day, and some of the others find that enough. Would not Brancaccia be exactly the woman to help you to run the albergo and to look after your parents in their old age?"

He admitted that she had the reputation of being an admirable housekeeper and that he had never heard anything against her. So I went on and said all I could think of in favour of matrimony, to which he listened without attempting to interrupt. I finished by saying that if he did marry Brancaccia and it turned out unsuccessful he was not to blame me. He replied with great decision that I need not fear anything of the kind, for he had made up his mind never to marry any one, and certainly not Brancaccia.

Soon after the wedding festa I returned to London. Peppino and I exchanged several postcards, but Brancaccia's name was never mentioned in any of his. After a year I received a letter from him. {329}

"CASTELLINARIA.

"PREGIATISSIMO E INDIMENTICABILE SIGNORE!

"Sono gia piu di dodeci mesi che non ho il piacere di vedere la sua grata persona sulla nostra spiaggia.

"Con vero piacere Le faccio sapere che mio caro padre G.o.de buonissima salute e che desidera grandemente di rivederla.

"Tre mesi fa il mio cuore e stato distrutto, causa la salita al cielo della mia adorata mamma. Non posso trovare parole per esprimerle il mio cordoglio. Sarebbe stato meglio che il buon Dio avesse preso anche me, perche non prendero piu alcun piacere nella vita.

"Vi annuncio che Domenica prossima si celebrera il mio matrimonio.

"Non posso mai dimenticare la sua squisita cortesia ed il gentile pensiero che nutre a mio riguardo. La prego credere che io sono ora, e per tutta la mia vita saro, a Lei legato di affezione, divozione e rispetto.

"PAMPALONE GIUSEPPE."

I replied in a letter of congratulation to the bride and bridegroom, wishing them every happiness, sending them a wedding present and promising to come and see them as soon as possible. In due course I received a box of sugar-plums and a letter signed by Peppino and Brancaccia asking me to be G.o.dfather to their first son when he should he born--an honour which, of course, I accepted. I trust that at the christening festa this book may not be thought unworthy to take the place of the more conventional silver mug.

THE END

PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.

Footnotes.

{151} [Greek text] offerings made at departure, a feast of Aphrodite at Eryx. [Greek text] the festival of the return opp. to [Greek text].--Liddell and Scott's Lexicon.

{154} Taken partly from oral tradition and partly from _Le Glorie di Maria SS. Immaculata_, _sotto il t.i.tolo di Custonaci_, by Maestro F.

Giuseppe Castronuovo, and _Feste Patronali in Sicilia_, by Giuseppe Pitre. Torino Palermo Carlo Clausen, 1900.

{329} Translation:

CASTELLINARIA.

MOST PRECIOUS AND UNFORGETTABLE SIR!

It is now more than twelve months since I had the pleasure of seeing your grateful person upon our sh.o.r.e.

I have real pleasure in telling you that my dear father is in the enjoyment of good health and greatly desires to see you again.

Three months ago my heart was destroyed in consequence of the ascent into heaven of my adored mamma. I cannot find words to express to you my grief. It would have been better if the good G.o.d had taken me as well, for I shall have no more pleasure in life.

I announce to you that on Sunday next my wedding will be celebrated.

I can never forget your exquisite courtesy and the kind thoughts you nourish with regard to me. I beg you to believe that I am now, and for all my life shall be, bound to you by affection, devotion and respect.

PAMPALONE GIUSEPPE.