By Nathaniel Hawthorne
ReadOasis Step 3
(Part 1)

Many years ago, a young man named Giovanni Guasconti left his home in Naples to study in northern Italy. He rented a small room on the top floor of a dark, ancient palace. Long ago, the building had belonged to a noble family. Now, an old woman, Signora Lisabetta, rented its rooms to students at the University of Padua.

Giovanni’s room had a small window. From it, he could see a large garden that had many plants and flowers. “Does the garden bel...