her life. A sudden inspiration came over her one day: "Come to the
corn-loft," she exclaimed, turning to Vannozza, and to Clara, a
favourite and pious servant of theirs; "Come with me to the corn-loft;
let us see if amongst the straw we may not succeed in finding a few
grains of corn for the poor." And on their knees for several hours those
patient, loving women sifted the straw, and by dint of labour collected
about a measure of corn, which they were bearing away in triumph, when
the God who caused the widow's oil not to fail, and made her barrel of
meal last through a scarcely more grievous famine, was preparing their
reward. Lorenzo had entered the granary just as they were carrying off
their hard-earned treasure, and, looking about him, beheld in place of
the straw which was lying there a moment before, 40 measures of
bright yellow corn, so shining and so full, says Francesca's earliest
biographer, that it seemed as though it had been raised in Paradise, and
reaped there by angels. In silent astonishment he pointed out to them
the miraculous supply, and must have felt in that hour what such virtue
as his wife's and his sister's could even in this world win of mercy at
God's hands. But corn was not enough; the sick wanted wine. They came,
poor pallid ghosts, just risen from their beds of suffering, to beg it
of Francesca; aged men and delicate children, mothers with infants at
their breasts, poor worn-out priests sinking with exhaustion, and yet
willing to assist others, they had recourse to her for a little wine to
strengthen them in their works of mercy, and she had no wine to give,
save out of the single cask in the cellar. She gave it, nevertheless;
and day after day drew from it, till not a drop was left. Andreazzo,
provoked, waxed very wroth; he had never before been angry with
Francesca, but now he stormed and raved at her; he had been to the
cellar to see the wine drawn for that day's use, and not a drop was in
the cask. "Charity indeed!" he exclaimed, "charity begins at home;
a pretty sort of virtue this, which, under the pretext of assisting