. A bright time then began for them. Wedded
life displayed in a new and captivating light all Valeria's perfections.
Fabio became a remarkable artist,---no longer a mere amateur, but a
master. Valeria's mother rejoiced and returned thanks to God as she
gazed at the happy pair. Four years flew by unnoticed like a blissful
dream. One thing alone was lacking to the young married couple, one
thing caused them grief: they had no children ... but hope had not
deserted them. Toward the end of the fourth year a great, and this time
a genuine grief, visited them: Valeria's mother died, after an illness
of a few days.

Valeria shed many tears; for a long time she could not reconcile herself
to her loss. But another year passed; life once more asserted its rights
and flowed on in its former channel. And, lo! one fine summer evening,
without having forewarned any one, Muzio returned to Ferrara.

III

During the whole five years which had elapsed since his departure, no
one had known anything about him. All rumours concerning him had died
out, exactly as though he had vanished from the face of the earth. When
Fabio met his friend on one of the streets in Ferrara he came near
crying out aloud, first from fright, then from joy, and immediately
invited him to his villa. There, in the garden, was a spacious, detached
pavilion; he suggested that his friend should settle down in that
pavilion. Muzio gladly accepted, and that same day removed thither with
his servant, a dumb Malay--dumb but not deaf, and even, judging from the
vivacity of his glance, a very intelligent man.... His tongue had been
cut out. Muzio had brought with him scores of chests filled with divers
precious things which he had collected during his prolonged wanderings.

Valeria was delighted at Muzio's return; and he greeted her in a
cheerfully-friendly but composed manner. From everything it was obvious
that he had kept the promise made to Fabio. In the course of the day he
succeeded in installing himself in his pavilion; with the aid of his
Malay he set out the rarities he had brought--rugs, silken tissues,
garments of velvet and brocade, weapons, cups, dishes, and beakers
adorned with enamel, articles of gold and silver set with pearls and
turquoises, carved caskets of amber and ivory, faceted flasks, spices,
perfumes, pelts of wild beasts, the feathers of unknown birds, and a
multitude of other objects, the very use of which seemed mysterious and
incompre