The tears came to Noemi's
eyes. All four were silent for a moment and understood each other. Then
Giovanni murmured:
"'_Non fu dal vel del cuor giawmai disciolto_'"[*1*];
and pressed the hand of him who in his awkward garments still appeared
august to him.
"But you must not wear these things!" exclaimed Maria, less mystic than
her husband.
Benedetto made a gesture which said, "Let us not speak of that," and
looked at the master of his master with eyes full of longing and
reverence.
"Are you aware," said he, "how much truth and how much good have come to
me from you?"
Giovanni did not know how strongly he had influenced this man through
Don Clemente. He supposed he had read his books. He was moved, and in
his heart thanked God, who was thus gently showing him that he had
worked some real good in a soul.
"How happy I should have been," Benedetto continued, "to have worked in
your garden, to [Footnote 1:"Of the heart's veil she never was divested."
DANTE'S _Paradiso_, Canto iii.
(Longfellow's translation) ] have sometimes seen you, to have heard you
speak!"
A stifled exclamation escaped Noemi when reminded of that evening full
of memories she could not express.
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