home to give me, and you have none; if he has no one but me to care for, and you have to obey your mother before you think of your wife; if with him I shall be honoured, and with you scorned, have I not a right to marry him. A girl must think for her future life. He is a good occasione, and my father and mother both wish it." Then, tearfully, "I don't say I love him as wetl as I could you, who have been kind to me all my life."

Luigi has been during this speech leaning against the wall with his hands before his eyes, and the water ripples in streams over the edges of the too full mezzina; he now suddenly opens wide the palms of his two hands in that beseeching Italian attitude, exclaiming, "Why, oh why, did you tell me this? Why not let me be happy a little while longer?"

MARIA. "Because I thought you would rather hear it from me than from any one else; and if you wish me well, do promise, dear good Luigi, promise me not to tell the neighbours; we want to keep it a secret."

LUIGI (a slight spark of malice in his stony eye)."You are afraid of the music, are you?"*

*The "music" spoken of by Luigi refers to an old cus

Then softening, "No, Maria; I will not tell,-of course I can't help it if they see I am appassionato, for I shall have no heart for work for many a day. Oh! why have you done it?"

MARIA (taking her wet mezzina on her head, and gliding off erect).—"I am but obeying my mother in marrying another, as you have obeyed yours in not taking me for sposa.”

Transfixed by this Parthian arrow, poor Luigi covers his face again and stands for some moments shaking with deep sobs; then with a rush he enters his house where the thoughts of Maria have grown into the very walls, and battles with his grief alone.

September 15.-No one saw him any more that night, and the next day he disappeared from the village before the festa goers were abroad. We suppose he spent the holiday in lonely fashion, nursing his sorrow on the hills, for the following

tom which is still practised in country regions. A great prejudice has always existed against second marriages, which they say trouble the soul of the defunct wife or husband; and when a widow or widower marries, the youths of the village serenade the spose for several nights with all the discordant noise-producers they can obtain, tongs, shovels, mezzine, fryingpans, whistles, etc., etc. In these districts it is called the scampanata; at Pesaro, tucca. (De Gubernatis, "Usi Nuziali," p. 243.)

morning saw him working stolidly as ever, his stiff features settled into a painful solemnity, which was the only sign of the passion within his heart.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE HAPPY SPOSO.

September 16.—Whilst our poor friend Luigi "goes heavily" in his trouble, his lucky brother Giulio walks radiant in his joy. His constancy is to be rewarded, Flaminia's father has given his consent, and the wedding will take place after the chestnut gathering. The "asking" has already been responded to. This "asking" is a curious mountain practice. De Gubernatis, in his "Usi Nuziali," P. 77, says the would-be bridegroom, or his nearest male relation, goes to the house of the wished-for bride, and knocking at the door says, "Io vengo a cercare una giovenca bianca e di una bellezza perfetta che voi possedete e che potrebbe fare la gloria del mio gregge e la consolazione de' miei vecchi anni." ("I come to seek a young damsel, fair and of a perfect beauty, whom you possess, and who might be the glory of my flock and the consolation of my old age.") The mother or father of the girl answers in language equally patriarchal,

T

and pretending to consent, brings out one by one the other women of the house, asking as each is presented, "Is this the one you desire?" The expectant denies each in turn, and after a longer pretended search the real bride is brought forth, but she must hang back and seem to be dragged with force. Then the bridegroom claps his hands, and to the usual question responds fervently, "è quanto io desidero." After that the betrothal is a recognized fact.

There is generally a private betrothal between the lovers besides, which consists frequently in what is called the tocca mano (touch of the hand). It is considered quite binding, as one or two stornelli show, where a lover prays his beloved one to tocca-mi-la mano, in sign of betrothal.

Beppa, who gives us much information, thus describes the mountain custom of making love. "When a young man who has never had any thought of marriage sees at last a certain maiden, he says within his own heart, 'That girl would suit me.' So he goes and speaks to her, saying, 'Good damsel, are you betrothed?' If the girl answers yes, he has to give up thinking about her; but if she blushes and says, 'Nobody has asked for me,' he demands, 'Will it please you to let me make love to you? and then, if we like each other, I will