in which image is effaced
by image, and one thought is expelled, unfinished, by another. She is to
him like the Fairy Morgana, the fairy who kept so much of chivalry in
her enchanted island; she is like the evening star when above his
cottage it slowly pierces the soft blue sky with its white brilliancy;
she is purer than the water in the well, and sweeter than the malmsey
wine, and whiter than the miller's flour; but her heart is as hard as a
pebble, and she loves driving to distraction a whole lot of youths who
dangle behind her, captives of those heart-thievish eyes of hers. But
she is also a most excellent housewife, can stand any amount of hard
field labour, and makes lots of money by weaving beautiful woollen
stuff. To see her going, to church of a morning, she is a little pearl!
her bodice is of damask, and her petticoat of bright, colour, and she
kneels down carefully where she may be seen, being so smart. And then,
when she dances!--a born dancer, bouncing like a little goat, and
twirling more than a mill-wheel; and when she has finished she makes you
such a curtsey; no citizen's wife in Florence can curtsey as she does.
It was in April that he first fell in love. She was picking salad in the
garden; he begged her for a little, and she sent him about his business;
las, alas! ever since then his peace has been gone; he cannot sleep, he
can only think of her, and follow her about; he has become quite
good-for-nothing as to his field work,--yet he hears all the people
around laughing and saying, "Of course Vallera will get her." Only _she_
will pay no heed to him. She is finer to look at than the Pope, whiter
than the whitest wood core: she is more delectable than are the young
figs to the earwigs, more beautiful than the turnip flower, sweeter than
honey. He is more in love with her than the moth is in love with the
lamp; she loves to see him perishing for her. If he could cut himself in
two without too much pain, he would, just to let her see that he carries
her in his heart. No; he would cut out his heart, and when she has
touched it with that slender hand of hers, it would cry out, "Nencia,
Nencia bella." But, after all, he is not to be despised: he is an
excellent labourer, most learned in buying--and selling pigs, he can
play the bagpipe beautifully; he is rich, is willing to go to any
expense to please her, nay, even to pay the barber double that his hair
may be nice and fuzzy from the crimping irons; and if