ther, and that I can spirit you to a garden even nicer than this,
where it is always summer?"
"I would surely say you were telling me fairy tales," Lucia replied
frankly.
The Captain laughed delightedly.
"But I'm not, Lucia," he said seriously. "I'm telling you the truth.
Down in the south I have a big house set in the very heart of a
beautiful garden, and I live there all by myself."
"Oh!" Lucia's big eyes were full of genuine sympathy.
"A long time ago, I used to have a little sister like you, but she
died, and since then I have been ever and ever so lonely. How would
you like to come and be my sister? I'd take awfully good care of you,
and Garibaldi."
For an instant Lucia's eyes danced with happiness, but it was only for
an instant, then her face fell.
"Oh, I would like that Captain, so very much," she said, "but I could
not leave Beppino and Nana."
Captain Riccardi looked at her in silence for a moment, then he said
slowly, "Of course, you couldn't. I forgot them for the moment. But
of course I meant to include them in the invitation. I am very fond of
Beppino already. We had quite a chat that day in the cave."
"Oh, but you don't mean it!" Lucia jumped up excitedly. "To live with
you and Nana and Beppi and Garibaldi in a garden,--oh! but of course,
it is not so, and I shall presently wake up."
"Wake up in the little white cottage and milk the goats and trudge to
town with the heavy pails?" the Captain said.
Lucia nodded soberly.
"Not it I can help it, you won't," he added with decision. "You'll
never do another stroke of hard work again."
"But are there no goats in your garden to milk, and no work to do?"
Lucia looked bewildered.
"Yes, but there's a lot of people to do it,--so many in fact, that all
you will have to do is to pick flowers and tell Beppi and me fairy
stories. Will you come?"
"Oh!" Lucia stamped her foot. "If this is only a dream!" she
exclaimed half angrily, "I shall surely die of misery when I wake up."
"It's no dream, little sister, it's true, and it won't be long before
you realize it. This leg is going to take a long time in healing, but
as soon as it is better we will go home, then when I am well enough to
go back to fight, you will stay in the garden and keep it looking
beautiful for me until I return."
For a full moment Lucia stared into the Captain's eyes, while the
wonderful truth dawned on her, then her emotion being far beyond words,
she
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