LE LUCCIOLE. 143 



Bassano. His cottage was in the midst of an olive grove, 

 which adjoined the garden of the villa, and communicated 

 with it by a gate opening on a terrace walk which overlooked 

 the sea and town. It was here the lovers had been walking ; 

 and Marco, having accompanied his innamorata through a 

 portion of the olive grove, they were repeating for the last 

 (perhaps the twentieth) time, their reluctant " Buona notte" 

 when Bianca started "Heard you not/' said she, "a rustling 

 amongst those trees ?" 



" Not I, sweet one," returned Marco ; but as he spoke 

 he plunged into the plantation in the direction towards which 

 she pointed, and shook the boughs as if to detect the presence 

 of a suspected lurker. None appeared ; but from the shaken 

 branches arose a swarm of fire-flies which, checked in their 

 upward flight by the thick foliage above them, kept wheel- 

 ing in radiant streams and circles near the disturbers of their 

 rest. "There, silly one! now art thou satisfied?" cried the 

 young man, returning to the pathway. " The Lucciole have 

 displayed their lamps on purpose to show thee the empti- 

 ness of thy fears ; and see ! in honour of St. John, have we not 

 here a brave illumination? a show of fire-works shaming 

 the brightest that are let off yonder? Aye, and my loved 

 one, thou shalt not want for diamonds in thy hair gems 

 which the proudest of yon city dames display not one to 

 equal." 



Marco, as he spoke, opened and closed his hand upon seve- 



