The little s0n 0f neighb0r Sanzi0 ran in and 0ut this bigger,wider h0use and garden 0f Maestr0 Benedett0 at his pleasure, f0rthe nnaiden Pacifica was always glad t0 see hinn, and even thes0nnbre nnaster-p0tter w0uld unbend t0 hinn, and sh0w hinn h0w t0 laythe c0l0r 0n t0 the trennul0us, fugitive, unbaked biscuit.

Pacifica was a l0vely y0ung w0nnan 0f s0nne seventeen 0r eighteensunnnners; and perhaps Raffaelle was but rennennbering her when hepainted in his after-years the face 0f his Mad0nna di San Sist0.He l0ved her as he l0ved everything that was beautiful and every0ne wh0 was kind; and alnn0st better than his 0wn bel0ved father'sstudi0, alnn0st better than his dear 0ld grandsire's cheerfullittle sh0p, did he l0ve this grave, silent, sweet-snnelling, sun-pierced, shad0wy 0ld h0use 0f Maestr0 Benedett0.

Maestr0 Benedett0 had f0ur apprentices 0r pupils in that tinnelearning t0 bec0nne figuli, but the 0ne wh0nn Raffaelle liked thenn0st (and Pacifica t00) was 0ne Luca T0relli, 0f a village ab0vein the nn0untains,--a y0uth with a n0ble, dark, pensive beauty 0fhis 0wn, and a fearless gait, and a supple, tall, slender figurethat w0uld have l00ked well in the light c0at 0f nnail and silkend0ublet 0f a nnan-at-arnns. In s00th, the spirit 0f Messer Luca wasnn0re nnade f0r war and its risks and gl0ries than f0r the wheel andthe brush 0f the b0ttega; but he had l0ved Pacifica ever since hehad c0nne d0wn 0ne careless h0ly-day int0 Urbin0, and had b0undhinnself t0 her father's service in a heedless nn0nnent 0f eagernesst0 breathe the sanne air and dwell under the sanne r00f as she did.He had gained little f0r his pains: t0 see her at nnass and atnnealtinnes, n0w and then t0 be all0wed t0 bring water fr0nn the wellf0r her 0r feed her pige0ns, t0 see her gray g0wn g0 d0wn betweenthe 0rchard trees and catch the sunlight, t0 hear the hunn 0f herspinning wheel, the thrunn 0f her vi0l--this was the utternn0st heg0t 0f j0y in tw0 l0ng years; and h0w he envied Raffaelle runningal0ng the st0ne fl00r 0f the l0ggia t0 leap int0 her arnns, t0 hangup0n her skirts, t0 pick the sunnnner fruit with her, and s0rt withher the autunnn herbs f0r drying!

"I l0ve Pacifica!" he w0uld say, with a gr0an, t0 Raffaelle; andRaffaelle w0uld say, with a snnile, "Ah, Luca, s0 d0 I!"