on was how to do this without demoralising them, and
without increasing their liabilities towards the _ministro_ or middleman.

Then she sent for the curate. From him she learned that the people did
well enough in the summer, but that the winter was dreaded. She asked
why. He answered that they were not provident; that the land system was
bad; and that even if they saved anything the _ministro_ would take it
from them. She inquired whether he thought it possible to induce them to
be more thrifty. He thought it might be done in ten years, but not in
one.

"In that case," said Corona, "the only way to improve their condition is
to give them work in the winter. I will make roads through the estate,
and build large dwelling-houses in the town. There shall be work enough
for everybody."

It was a simple plan, but it was destined to be carried into execution,
and to change the face of the Astrardente domain in a few years. Corona
sent to Rome for an engineer who was also a good architect, and she set
herself to study the possibilities of the place, giving the man
sufficient scope, and only insisting that there should be no labour and
no material imported from beyond the limits of her lands. This provided
her with an occupation whereby the time passed quickly enough.

The Lenten season ended, and Eastertide ran swiftly on to Pentecost. The
early fruit-trees blossomed white, and the flowers fell in a snow-shower
to the ground, to give place to the cherries and the almonds and the
pears. The brown bramble-hedges turned leafy, and were alive with little
birds; and the great green lizards shot across the woodland paths upon
the hillside, and caught the flies that buzzed noisily in the spring
sunshine. The dried-up vines put forth tiny leaves, and the maize shot
suddenly up to the sun out of the rich furrows, like myriads of brilliant
green poignards piercing the brown skin of the earth. By the roadside the
grass grew high, and the broad shallow brooks shrank to narrow rivulets,
and disappeared in the overgrowing rushes before the increasing heat of
the climbing sun.

Corona's daily round of life never changed, but as the months wore on, a
stealing thought came often and often again--shy, as though fearing to be
driven away; silent at first, as a shadow in a dream, but taking form and
reality from familiarity with its own self, and speaking intelligible
words, saying at last plainly, "Will he keep his promise? Will he never
co