note from Franco himself, which
ran as follows:

"DEAR GRANDMOTHER,--I have not time to write to you because I
am here, but I will tell you all by word of mouth to-morrow
evening. I hope you will listen to me as my father and mother
would have listened."

No answer had as yet come from Cressogno, but now a man from Cressogno
had brought a letter. Where was this man?--Gone; he would not stop a
minute. Franco took the letter and read the address: "_Al. preg. Signor
Ingegnere Pietro Ribera_." At the same time he recognised in the
writing, the hand of the agent's daughter. He went up to Uncle Piero's
room at once. The engineer, who was worn out, had gone to bed.

When Franco brought him the letter he showed neither surprise nor
curiosity, but said, calmly:

"Open it."

Franco placed the light on the chest of drawers, and opened the letter,
keeping his back to the bed. As he stood, he seemed turned to stone; he
neither breathed nor moved.

"Well?" said the uncle.

Silence.

"I understand," the old man added. Then Franco let the letter fall, and
stretching his hands above his head, he uttered a long "Ah!" deep and
hoarse, and laden with amazement and horror.

"Come, come!" Uncle Piero repeated, "what about this letter?"

Franco roused himself, and hastened to embrace him, hardly able to
restrain his sobs.

The placid man bore this storm calmly and patiently for a time, but
presently he began to defend himself, and demanded the letter. "Let me
see it, let me see it," said he, and he muttered, "What can that blessed
woman have written?"

Franco brought the light and the letter, which he handed to Uncle Piero.
His grandmother had written never a word, never a syllable; she had
simply returned the engineer's letter and Franco's note. It was some
time before the uncle could grasp this. He was never quick to understand
things, and this thing was utterly incomprehensible to him! When at last
he did make it out, he could not help saying: "Certainly this is very
hard!" Then, seeing how beside himself Franco was, he added, with the
big solemn voice he used when judging human actions _toto corde_,
"Listen. It is, I should say----" (and he searched for the right word,
in his own peculiar fashion puffing out his cheeks, and emitting a sort
of rattling sound)"----an injustice! But I am by no means so extremely
astonished as you are. Not all the wrong is on her side, my dear fellow,
and so----However, I