onesbegan to take part in the play. The women waved their head-shawls andthe men swung their caps. Every one worked to extinguish the light.
Raniero rode under the vine-covered balcony of a house. Upon this stooda woman. She leaned over the lattice-work, snatched the candle, and ranin with it. The woman was Francesca degli Uberti.
The whole populace burst into shrieks of laughter and shouts, butRaniero swayed in his saddle and fell to the street.
As soon as he lay there stricken and unconscious, the street was emptiedof people.
No one wished to take charge of the fallen man. His horse was the onlycreature that stopped beside him.
As soon as the crowds had got away from the street, Francesca degliUberti came out from her house, with the burning candle in her hand. Shewas still pretty; her features were gentle, and her eyes were deep andearnest.
She went up to Raniero and bent over him. He lay senseless, but theinstant the candle light fell upon his face, he moved and rousedhimself. It was apparent that the candle flame had complete power overhim. When Francesca saw that he had regained his senses, she said: "Hereis your candle. I snatched it from you, as I saw how anxious you were tokeep it burning. I knew of no other way to help you."
Raniero had had a bad fall, and was hurt. But now nothing could hold himback. He began to raise himself slowly. He wanted to walk, but wavered,and was about to fall. Then he tried to mount his horse. Francescahelped him. "Where do you wish to go?" she asked when he sat in thesaddle again. "I want to go to the cathedral," he answered. "Then Ishall accompany you," she said, "for I'm going to Mass." And she led thehorse for him.
Francesca had recognized Raniero the very moment she saw him, but he didnot see who she was, for he did not take time to notice her. He kept hisgaze fixed upon the candle flame alone.
They were absolutely silent all the way. Raniero thought only of theflame, and of guarding it well these last moments. Francesca could notspeak, for she felt she did not wish to be certain of that which shefeared. She could not believe but that Raniero had come home insane.Although she was almost certain of this, she would rather not speak withhim, in order to avoid any positive assurance.
After a while Raniero heard some one weep near him. He looked around andsaw that it was Francesca degli Uberti, who walked beside him; and shewept. But Raniero saw her only for an instant, and said nothing to her.He wanted to think only of the sacred flame.
Raniero let her conduct him to the sacristy. There he dismounted. Hethanked Francesca for her help, but looked all the while not upon her,but on the light. He walked alone up to the priests in the sacristy.
Francesca went into the church. It was Easter Eve, and all the candlesstood unlighted upon the altars, as a symbol of mourning. Francescathought that every flame of hope which had ever burned within her wasnow extinguished.
In the church there was profound solemnity. There were many priests atthe altar. The canons sat in a body in the chancel, with the bishopamong them.
By and by Francesca noticed there was commotion among the priests.Nearly all who were not needed to serve at Mass arose and went out intothe sacristy. Finally the bishop went, too.
When Mass was over, a priest stepped up to the chancel railing and beganto speak to the people. He related that Raniero di Raniero had arrivedin Florence with sacred fire from Jerusalem. He narrated what the riderhad endured and suffered on the way. And he praised him exceeding much.
The people sat spellbound and listened to this. Francesca had neverbefore experienced such a blissful moment. "O God!" she sighed, "this isgreater happiness than I can bear." Her tears fell as she listened.
The priest talked long and well. Finally he said in a strong, thrillingvoice: "It may perchance appear like a trivial thing now, that a candleflame has been brought to Florence. But I say to you: Pray God that Hewill send Florence many bearers of Eternal Light; then she will become agreat power, and be extolled as a city among cities!"
When the priest had finished speaking, the entrance doors of the churchwere thrown open, and a procession of canons and monks and priestsmarched up the center aisle toward the altar. The bishop came last, andby his side walked Raniero, in the same cloak that he had worn duringthe entire journey.
But when Raniero had crossed the threshold of the cathedral, an old manarose and walked toward him. It was Oddo, the father of the journeymanwho had once worked for Raniero, and had hanged himself because of him.
When this man had come up to the bishop and Raniero, he bowed to them.Thereupon he said in such a loud voice that all in the church heard him:"It is a great thing for Florence that Raniero has come with sacred firefrom Jerusalem. Such a thing has never before been heard of orconceived. For that reason perhaps there may be many who will say thatit is not possible. Therefore, I beg that all the people may know whatproofs and witnesses Raniero has brought with him, to assure us thatthis is actually fire which was lighted in Jerusalem."
When Raniero heard this he said: "God help me! how can I producewitnesses? I have made the journey alone. Deserts and mountain wastesmust come and testify for me."
"Raniero is an honest knight," said the bishop, "and we believe him onhis word."
"Raniero must know himself that doubts will arise as to this," saidOddo. "Surely, he can not have ridden entirely alone. His little pagescould certainly testify for him."
Then Francesca degli Uberti rushed up to Raniero. "Why need wewitnesses?" said she. "All the women in Florence would swear on oaththat Raniero speaks the truth!"
Then Raniero smiled, and his countenance brightened for a moment.Thereupon he turned his thoughts and his gaze once more upon the candleflame.
There was great commotion in the church. Some said that Raniero shouldnot be allowed to light the candles on the altar until his claim wassubstantiated. With this many of his old enemies sided.
Then Jacopo degli Uberti rose and spoke in Raniero's behalf. "I believeevery one here knows that no very great friendship has existed betweenmy son-in-law and me," he said; "but now both my sons and I will answerfor him. We believe he has performed this task, and we know that one whohas been disposed to carry out such an undertaking is a wise, discreet,and noble-minded man, whom we are glad to receive among us."
But Oddo and many others were not disposed to let him taste of the blisshe was yearning for. They got together in a close group and it was easyto see that they did not care to withdraw their demand.
Raniero apprehended that if this should develop into a fight, they wouldimmediately try to get at the candle. As he kept his eyes steadily fixedupon his opponents, he raised the candle as high as he could.
He looked exhausted in the extreme, and distraught. One could see that,although he wished to hold out to the very last, he expected defeat.What mattered it to him now if he were permitted to light the candles?Oddo's word had been a death-blow. When doubt was once awakened, itwould spread and increase. He fancied that Oddo had already extinguishedthe sacred flame forever.
A little bird came fluttering through the great open doors into thechurch. It flew straight into Raniero's light. He hadn't time to snatchit aside, and the bird dashed against it and put out the flame.
Raniero's arm dropped, and tears sprang to his eyes. The first moment hefelt this as a sort of relief. It was better thus than if human beingshad killed it.
The little bird continued its flight into the church, flutteringconfusedly hither and thither, as birds do when they come into a room.
Simultaneously a loud cry resounded throughout the church: "The bird ison fire! The sacred candle flame has set its wings on fire!"
The little bird chirped anxiously. For a few moments it fluttered about,like a flickering flame, under the high chancel arches. Then it sanksuddenly and dropped dead upon the Madonna's Altar.
But the moment the bird fell upon the Altar, Raniero was standing there.He had forced his way through the church, no one had been able to stophim. From the sparks which destroyed the bird's wings he lit the candlesbefore the Mad
onna's Altar.
Then the bishop raised his staff and proclaimed: "God willed it! Godhath testified for him!"
And all the people in the church, both his friends and opponents,abandoned their doubts and conjectures. They cried as with one voice,transported by God's miracle: "God willed it! God hath testified forhim!"
Of Raniero there is now only a legend, which says he enjoyed great goodfortune for the remainder of his days, and was wise, and prudent, andcompassionate. But the people of Florence always called him Pazzo degliRanieri, in remembrance of the fact that they had believed him insane.And this became his honorary title. He founded a dynasty, which wasnamed Pazzi, and is called so even to this day.
It might also be worth mentioning that it became a custom in Florence,each year at Easter Eve, to celebrate a festival in memory of Raniero'shome-coming with the sacred flame, and that, on