George MacDonald - "What's Mine's Mine V2"

Unknown - "The World English Bible (WEB): Romans"

Flavius Josephus - "The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem"

Charles Darwin - "The Voyage Of The Beagle"

A Siren

T >> Thomas Adolphus Trollope >> A Siren




There was one other stranger in Ravenna whose lamentations over the
fate that had ever brought him thither were as loud as they were
sincere. The poor old singing-master, Quinto Lalli, was left, by the
death of his adopted daughter, as destitute of the means of support
as desolate in his home and heart. He was not worth much; but it
would be unjust to suppose of him that his violent outcry on her
murderer was wholly or mainly prompted by the former consideration.
There had been a real and strong affection between him and his
adopted daughter, and her death in truth left him utterly desolate.

Yet he never again quitted the city he so much regretted having ever
seen. His comfortable support was adequately provided for by the
Marchese Ludovico. And often in after years--on summer evenings on a
stone bench beneath a fig-tree in the garden of the cottage provided
for him, and in winter at the chimney corner of its tiny parlour--
might be seen the tall spare nun-like figure of a grave and gentle
lady, earnestly labouring at the somewhat up-hill task of consoling
the old man, and striving to shape the teachings of his Bohemian
life to a better lesson than he was apt to draw from them. It was
the Contessa Violante; and it may be concluded from her occupation
both that she succeeded in escaping the pursuit of the Duca di San
Sisto, and that her great-uncle the Cardinal did not succeed in
becoming Pope at the most recent vacancy.

After the return of the Marchese and Marchesa di Castelmare to
Ravenna, however, the greater number of the hours of the Contessa
Violante were spent in the home of her little god-daughter Violante
di Castelmare, and of her friend Paolina.


THE END

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