artly
because I had always been fond of the Swede; and could have wished that
he should not by living near this grave keep the wound in his heart for
ever bleeding. But, however, I knew well that he must have his own way,
let Heaven or Hell oppose him, and so I laid myself out to render him
any service that I could, for her sake who had been dear to me too, and
to whom even beyond the grave I could still prove my good-will by
befriending her beloved.

"And in a week's time he actually came and took possession of the house
which stood about a mile from the village in a tolerably large
vineyard, not far from the ravine where the chestnuts are; a lovely,
solitary spot for a man at least who had no fear, good weapons at hand,
and a faithful dog for companion. But the latter was not the only
living creature that joined him. Erminia's sister Maddalena insisted on
doing so, that she might wash and cook for him, and keep his house
while he was on his rambles. Nothing could have suited him better,
though people in general shunned her. But he knew that her dead sister
had bequeathed her own love and fidelity towards him to this poor
creature. And so the singular pair lived on in their solitude, and
never seemed to concern themselves about the rest of the world.

"I went to see him a few days after his arrival. The house had once
belonged to a Roman noble, and was still in tolerable condition, though
the old furniture was covered with dust and cobwebs which Maddalena
never disturbed. She had been used to worse in her mother's ruinous
hovel under the roof of the fig-tree. But in the neglected garden she
had somewhat bestirred herself, and planted a few beds with vegetables,
and the locks of all the doors had been repaired and new bolts added.
'She insisted upon it,' said the captain; 'she is continually dreaming
of an attack upon us.' 'Dreams are not always mere moonshine,' returned
I, but he paid no attention. He went before me up the stone steps, and
opened the door of the familiar salon, the balcony of which looked on
the garden. This was the only room that he inhabited; he had made a bed
out of an old divan, and cleaned the rubbish out of the corners
singlehanded, but he could not stop up the countless holes in the walls
through which bats and squirrels went in and out. My first glance fell
on a stand against the wall, from which his beautiful fire-arms shone
out, and as I was always fond of them I fell to examining these
mas