xtinguished.

The boy slipped slowly from above his grandmother, fell on his knees,
and remained in that attitude, with his arms around her body and his
head upon her breast.

Several moments passed; it was very dark; the song of the peasants
gradually died away in the campagna. The old woman recovered her senses.

"Ferruccio!" she cried, in a voice that was barely intelligible, with
chattering teeth.

"Grandmamma!" replied the lad.

The old woman made an effort to speak; but terror had paralyzed her
tongue.

She remained silent for a while, trembling violently.

Then she succeeded in asking:--

"They are not here now?"

"No."

"They did not kill me," murmured the old woman in a stifled voice.

"No; you are safe," said Ferruccio, in a weak voice. "You are safe, dear
grandmother. They carried off the money. But daddy had taken nearly all
of it with him."

His grandmother drew a deep breath.

"Grandmother," said Ferruccio, still kneeling, and pressing her close to
him, "dear grandmother, you love me, don't you?"

"O Ferruccio! my poor little son!" she replied, placing her hands on his
head; "what a fright you must have had!--O Lord God of mercy!--Light the
lamp. No; let us still remain in the dark! I am still afraid."

"Grandmother," resumed the boy, "I have always caused you grief."

"No, Ferruccio, you must not say such things; I shall never think of
that again; I have forgotten everything, I love you so dearly!"

"I have always caused you grief," pursued Ferruccio, with difficulty,
and his voice quivered; "but I have always loved you. Do you forgive
me?--Forgive me, grandmother."

"Yes, my son, I forgive you with all my heart. Think, how could I help
forgiving you! Rise from your knees, my child. I will never scold you
again. You are so good, so good! Let us light the lamp. Let us take
courage a little. Rise, Ferruccio."

"Thanks, grandmother," said the boy, and his voice was still weaker.
"Now--I am content. You will remember me, grandmother--will you not? You
will always remember me--your Ferruccio?"

"My Ferruccio!" exclaimed his grandmother, amazed and alarmed, as she
laid her hands on his shoulders and bent her head, as though to look him
in his face.

"Remember me," murmured the boy once more, in a voice that seemed like a
breath. "Give a kiss to my mother--to my father--to Luigina.--Good by,
grandmother."

"In the name of Heaven, what is the matter with you?" shrieked the old
woman,