Paolo was entirely remote from Maria's world. He had not yet even
grasped the fact of money, not thoroughly. He reckoned in land and olive
trees. So he had the old fatalistic attitude to his circumstances, even
to his food. The earth was the Lord's and the fulness thereof; also the
leanness thereof. Paolo could only do his part and leave the rest. If he
ate in plenty, having oil and wine and sausage in the house, and plenty
of maize-meal, he was glad with the Lord. If he ate meagrely, of poor
polenta, that was fate, it was the skies that ruled these things, and no
man ruled the skies. He took his fate as it fell from the skies.
Maria was exorbitant about money. She would charge us all she could for
what we had and for what was done for us.
Yet she was not mean in her soul. In her soul she was in a state of
anger because of her own closeness. It was a violation to her strong
animal nature. Yet her mind had wakened to the value of money. She knew
she could alter her position, the position of her children, by virtue of
money. She knew it was only money that made the difference between
master and servant.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156