The story revolves around a young Italian nobleman named Guilio who falls deeply in love with a beautiful peasant girl named Nerina. Despite their differing social classes, the two share a passionate and all-consuming romance. However, their happiness is short-lived as Guilio's family forbids him from pursuing the relationship, citing the vast difference in their social stations. Heartbroken, Guilio reluctantly agrees to marry a woman of his own class, but he remains emotionally torn between his duty and his love for Nerina.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1887 · Genre: Romance, Poetry, Drama