This particular extract may be found about mid-way to nearing the end of the story of Verga’s L’Amante di Gramigna. Peppa, a woman who has abandoned a life of unthinkable fortune in marrying her fiancé, Finu, in pursuit of infamous bandit, Gramigna, who, has taken refuge among the cacti of Palagonia. Peppa has been left at the ravine as Gramigna, warned in advance by the howls of a pack of hunter dogs, attempts to flee an onslaught of bullets. Appearing again is Gramigna, dragging his fatally wounded body, declaring defeat at the hands of his hunters’ rifles. The preceding passage also details the dutiful nature of Peppa to Gramigna, along with the violence she endured while romantically inclined towards him, and the time she spent with him as he flees incarceration. The preceding events act as a justification of the ultimate fates for both parties, perpetuating the pessimistic climate of the text, as well as maintaining the functions of verismo. It is interesting if one is to consider the life of luxury Peppa might have indulged in, had she not sought out Gramigna, and the unfortunate downward spiral that occurs as a result. Gramigna, bloodied and beaten, is paraded through the streets on a cart, Peppa in tow. She is handcuffed and branded a mistress – a scoundrel of sorts, bringing shame in her wake. Her mother was forced to sell the wedding paraphernalia, along with an array of gold to finance her daughter’s freedom. It is then revealed that she has had a son with