and when at last he did see my meaning, he left me with such an air of ill humor and displeasure as I never saw in him before; and it was full a fortnight before I could get hold of him to have a talk again.

"I saw a change in the poor fellow almost from day to day; the weaker he grew the more he struggled against it, but it was plain this could not go on long. Without saying any thing about it to him, I went to town, and having some interest with the colonel of a regiment, endeavored to get him to reinstate Toniotto as a non-commissioned officer; he gave me some hope, and I returned to tell him the news. But he only thanked me with a melancholy smile, and said he had no wish for it; and I could see that his weak bodily state had enfeebled his mind. So that even if it had been clearly right and necessary to take this step, he would hardly have had the resolution to do it. I believe I was the only person, except, perhaps, Maria, who perceived how he was failing. He made no complaints, and never left off work or spared himself at all, which, no doubt, helped to make him worse; but he never would rest, unless now and then when he thought himself quite alone, as I had surprised him that first time, which I now did again sometimes on purpose. Six months passed away, and he had become like a skeleton. The winter

had set in, but he could not remain idle at home, and he went less and less often to Maria's.

"As soon as ever the snow was off the ground, he took his hoe and set to work upon the vines planted amongst the tufa, the hardest work of all. I once got the doctor to come and see him, as if by chance, and he told him he might get well if he would leave off hard work, and not overtire himself. But he answered, then, 'Once I get to keep my bed, I shall never leave it.' And so it turned out. He caught a cold, or something which forced him to keep the house, and the fever soon became so violent that he sent by the same messenger for the doctor and for me, that I might confess him.

"And confess him I did, blessed be his soul! and afterwards he asked my leave to see Maria and Francesco; but on my saying, 'Poor woman! what good would it be?' he answered, Perhaps you are right; yet take care she does not come. I know I am a poor

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weak creature, but I shan't want strength much longer.'

"He received the sacrament; and on the third day I gave him extreme unction. I found a lock of Maria's hair hanging round his neck. Take it off,' said he; 'perhaps I have done wrong in wearing it since I came home. This, and the little book of prayers you gave me when I first went away, have gone every where

with me, and helped to keep my heart warm in Russia. Keep them and my two crosses, for my sake.'

"He pulled the prayer book and the crosses from under his pillow: half an hour after he became insensible, and so died in about an hour more.

"That was what made me leave that part of the country. I served afterwards as chaplain in the very regiment into which I had tried to get Toniotto."

"And what became of Maria?" asked some of the audience.

"Maria lived for four years after him; and about six months ago I was sent for, and returned to the village, to administer the last sacraments to her. She departed in peace."

So saying, the schoolmaster rose and walked ort into the garden, and one after another his hearersdispersed. Some had been moved by his story; others said that this sort of thg happened every day, only one didn't think of it, and that they didn't call it much of a story. However, no one thought of renewing the dispute: the subject dropped, and that had been the intention of the good schoolmaster.