or other paraphernalia, are needed; the game is played with the fingers
only. Those of the left hand keep the account of the game. With the
right hand a quick movement is made by both players simultaneously,
showing a certain number of fingers; while at the same moment each calls
out his guess of the number which his antagonist holds
up,--"due"--"cinque"--"tutti." The familiar words fell upon Millicent’s
ears, and she stopped outside the door, her cheeks dyed with a flush of
pleasure, her eyes sparkling at the sound of her native language. She
did not remember that she was in a prison; she thought of nothing but
the fact that here was a compatriot; she spoke to him in a low voice a
few words of greeting. The fellow stared at her at first; and then,
seeing that hers was a friendly face, left his seat on the corner of the
narrow bed, came close to the grate and poured out a torrent of words in
the patois of the Venetians. When he learned that the signorina was not
only of his country, but from his city, the poor fellow, whose crime had
been nothing more than participation in a street-fight, was moved to
tears. Millicent forgot her companions and the strange place of
meeting, and listened with sympathizing attention to the story of the
man with the dull red-gold hair and white, delicate features, whose face
recalled more than one friend in the far-off city of her home. His
profession was that of a cobbler, his name Giovanni Brogli. He had
drifted out to this strange country through a love of wandering, and had
been drawn into a street-brawl by some chance acquaintances, who had
robbed him of all that remained of his small fortune; and when he would
have fought his betrayers, they turned him over to the police. True or
false, the story was a pitiful one. The creature could speak next to no
English; and Millicent’s tender heart was troubled by the recital of his
griefs. She had no money with her, and before either of her companions
was aware of her intention, she had untwined a gold serpent of exquisite
workmanship from her throat and held it through the bars to the man
inside the cell. He looked at her with wondering eyes, and taking the
white fingers in his own rough, blackened hand, kissed them reverently,
murmuring a blessing which brought tears to her eyes.
"I say, Princess, you must n’t do that sort of thing;" said Hal,
thoroughly scandalized, pulling her by the sleeve. "Come on! you can’t
stand talking to these rascals and giving them your jewelry,--it is n’t
sensible."
She answered impatiently, and then saying a word of farewell to the
prisoner, she submitted to be led away from the grate by Galbraith,
followed by a fervent parting blessing from Giovanni of the reddish
locks.
"I wish you wouldn’t be so absurdly soft-hearted. What did you want to
give that beggar your lovely necklace for?" said Hal.
"I had no money with me," half penitently.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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