When he thought of that he began to weep.
But at the same time he began to upbraid Donna Elisa in his thoughts. How could she be so stupid as to grieve because he went. It would be such a joy for her when he should become a holy man. That would be her reward for having gone to Palermo and fetched him.
He cried more and more violently while he was consoling Donna Elisa. It was hard that she did not understand what a reward she would receive.
There was no need for her to be sad. For ten years only would Gaetano live on the mountain, and then he would come back as the famous hermit Fra Gaetano. Then he would come walking through the streets of Diamante, followed by a great crowd of people, like Father Gondo. And there would be flags, and the houses would be decorated with cloths and wreaths. He would stop in front of Donna Elisa’s shop, and Donna Elisa would not recognize him and would be ready to fall on her knees before him. But so should it not be; he would kneel to Donna Elisa, and ask her forgiveness, because he had run away from her ten years ago. “Gaetano,” Donna Elisa would then answer, “you give me an ocean of joy against a little brook of sorrow. Should I not forgive you?”
Gaetano saw all this before him, and it was so beautiful that he began to weep more violently. He was only afraid that Donna Elisa would hear how he was sobbing and come out and find him. And then she would not let him go.
He must talk sensibly with her. Would he ever give her greater pleasure than if he went now?
It was not only Donna Elisa, there was also Luca and Pacifica, who would be so glad when he came back as a holy man.
They would all follow him up to the market-place. There, there would be even more flags than in the streets, and Gaetano would speak from the steps of the town hall. And from all the streets and courts people would come streaming.
Then Gaetano would speak, so that they should all fall on their knees and cry: “Bless us, Fra Gaetano, bless us!”
After that he would never leave Diamante again. He would live under the great steps outside Donna Elisa’s shop.
And they would come to him with their sick, and those in trouble would make a pilgrimage to him.
When the syndic of Diamante went by he would kiss Gaetano’s hand.