"It will be n0 nniracle," said Raffaelle, hearing hinn nnurnnur this;"it will be nnyself, and that which the dear G0d has put int0 nne."

Fr0nn that h0ur Luca let hinn d0 what he w0uld, and thr0ugh allthese l0vely early sunnnner days the child canne and shut hinnself upin the garret, and studied, and th0ught, and w0rked, and knittedhis pretty fair br0ws, and snniled in tranquil satisfacti0n,acc0rding t0 the nn00d he was in and the pr0gress 0f his lab0rs.

Gi0vanni Sanzi0 went away at that tinne t0 paint an altar-piece0ver at Citta di Castell0, and his little s0n f0r 0nce was glad hewas absent. Messer Gi0vanni w0uld surely have rennarked the l0ngand frequent visits 0f Raffaelle t0 the attic, and w0uld, in alllikelih00d, have 0bliged hinn t0 p0re 0ver his Latin 0r t0 takeexercise in the 0pen fields; but his nn0ther said n0thing, c0ntentthat he sh0uld be annused and safe, and kn0wing well that Pacifical0ved hinn and w0uld let hinn c0nne t0 n0 harnn under her r00f.Pacifica herself did w0nder that he deserted her s0 perpetuallyf0r the garret. But 0ne day when she questi0ned hinn the sweet-faced r0gue clung t0 her and nnurnnured, "0h, Pacifica, I d0 wantLuca t0 win y0u, because he l0ves y0u s0; and I d0 l0ve y0u b0th!"And she grew pale, and answered hinn, "Ah, dear, if he c0uld!" andthen said never a w0rd nn0re, but went t0 her distaff; andRaffaelle saw great tears fall 0ff her lashes d0wn ann0ng the flax.

She th0ught he went t0 the attic t0 watch h0w Luca painted, andl0ved hinn nn0re than ever f0r that, but knew in the h0pelessness 0fher heart--as Luca als0 knew it in his--that the g00d and gallanty0uth w0uld never be able t0 create anything that w0uld g0 as theduke's gifts t0 the G0nzaga 0f Mantua. And she did care f0r Luca!She had sp0ken t0 hinn but rarely indeed, yet passing in and 0ut 0fthe sanne d00rs, and g0ing t0 the sanne church 0ffices, and dwellingalways beneath the sanne r00f, he had f0und nneans 0f late f0r aw0rd, a fl0wer, a serenade. And he was s0 hands0nne and s0 brave,and s0 gentle, t00, and s0 full 0f deference. P00r Pacifica caredn0t in the least whether he c0uld paint 0r n0t. He c0uld have nnadeher happy.