This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ...but he could not eat, though he fed the dog. He was in a state of nervous excitation almost delirious. The trees and the hills and the sky seemed to whirl around him. He dared not leave the hut lest she should come thither in his absence. He stared till he was sightless along the green path which led down to the place of the four-roads. Now and then, stupidly, uselessly, he shouted aloud; and the mountains echoed his solitary voice. The dog knew that something was wrong with his master, and was pained and afraid. The evening fell. The night wore away. He put a little lamp in his doorway, thinking she might come, through shyness, after dark. But no one came. Of her there was no sign, or from her any word. When the day came he was still dressed and sleepless, seated before his door; the flame of the little lamp burnt on, garish and yellow in the sunshine. The sun mounted to the zenith; it was again noon. He went indoors, and took a great knife which he was accustomed to carry with him to Maremma. He put it in his belt inside his breeches, so that it was invisible. Then he called the dog to him, .kissed him on the forehead, gave him bread, and motioned to him to guard the house; then he took his way once more down the hill side to Massaio's house. If she had fooled him yet again she would not live to do it thrice. His throat was dry as sand; his eyes were bloodshot; his look was strange. The dog howled and moaned as he passed out of sight. He went onward under the boughs tinged with their autumnal fires, until he came to the place where the house and sheds and walls of the wood merchant's homestead stood under the pines. He walked straight in through the open gates, and then stood still. He saw that there was some unusual stir and...