The Net

by post, and through the public press a many-voiced and authoritative promise that the brigandage which had cursed the island for so many generations should be extirpated. The outrage was

he days dragged on, proving the futility of their efforts, still more carbineers arrived. But no trace of Cardi, of Narcon

classes were romantically stirred by the picture of the lonely girl stricken on the eve of her wedding, and

, as he rode in to San Sebastiano a

s, they are here in San Sebastiano or the other villages under our very noses; perhaps they are strutting the streets of Palermo or Bagheria or Messina marked by a hundred eyes, discussed by a hundred tongues, and yet we cannot surprise

are losi

ns. But the more we have the less we shall accomplish. 'Sweep Sicily!' 'Stamp out the Mafia!' What does Rome know about the Mafia? Signore, did we arrest one half of those whom we know to be Mafiosi, Rome would need to send us, not an army of soldiers, but regiments of stone m

ou work

Mafioso rather than betray him and become a victim of his vengeance. He who talks little is wise. Of that which does not concern him he says neither good nor evil; that is

ouldn't, in fact, although I have sent word for her to cal

head in sorro

ear! Not an outcry! It was terrible! Weak women do not act in that manner

found himself looking thus at every one since the tragedy, and it was a source of constant wonder to him that his secret had remained his own. It seemed that they must know and loathe him as he loathed himself. But on the contrary he was treated with sympathy on all sides, and it was taken merely as an ex

in this self-condemnation; there were times when with some show of justice he told himself that the result would have been the same or even worse if he had fought; and he tried to ease his conscience by dwelling on the possibility that under other circumstances he might not have proved a coward. He had been physically tired, worn out; his nervous force had been spent. At the moment of ambush his mind had been far away and he had had no time in which to gather his wits. Moral courage, he kn

the Countess wi

ut time will gradually rob her of her sorrow. She will reme

y? Ne

is human, she is full of fire. It would be a great pity

hinking more of ven

rld is full of great loves, but great hates usually consume themselves quickly. I

e might feel bound to take up

might suc

t w

to cherish finer sentiments. As for Lucrezia, she wil

e h

is at twelve? It will be very sad and the poor girl will be under the greatest strain then, so we must be with her, you and I. And then I must be off again upon the trail of this infamous Cardi, w

t sacred rites for the dead seemed sacrilegious, indecent, and he knew that it must add to Margherita's pain. It was an endless, heart-rending ordeal, a grea

d upon one of the old stone benches in the garden in the full hot glare of the sun. It relieved him to find that she had lost her unnatural self-control, having fallen, it seemed, into much the same mood he would have expected in any woman. It had been so hard to find

eaving her hand in his, "unless it is because my lon

be so, Contessa. I shall come from ac

ed, then cleared without overflowing-"and that the world is moving on again in the same way and only I am left standing by the wayside. You cann

I sha'n't leave you for a l

Then he had rea

he possibility, and yet he

now! If he had told me, if he had confided his

or I might be needed by the-the law. You u

ld him bitterly. "The law will do n

Then at her quick look of inquiry he went on: "Nothing serious, I hop

ll go at onc

e necessity of my remaining for a time at least. Unless she

. You were his other half. But there are other aching hearts, it seems. Th

t wo

ing. Neri will fail; no Italian could succeed; n

bring those m

ertainly! Who

class with which you can have no contact. They are the dregs

one of them,

ad to think of it. If you were a man you might have so

l's danger had roused her. "I told you no power could save them; no hiding-place could be so secret, no lies so cunning that I would n

esire to see justice done is commendable and proper, but the desire for revenge isn't. You mus

tion? What had Martel

indicate the hopelessness of answering her. Afte

taking an active personal part in this quest, and I will assume your pl

d be sure to fail. I thank y

nger. Think! Life is before you, and all its

hed more than Colonel Neri and his carbineers. I see Aliandro coming now, and I think he has news. He

rtake so dangerous a task without a

ke Belisario Cardi, or Narcone the Butcher, would hesitate no more in attacking a woman than a man. He knew the whole Sicilian country to be a web of intrigue and secret understandings, sensitive to the slightest touch

use he encountered Lucrezia

l to protect the Countess

both a sister and a mother t

nova had done much for her, it was still evident that she was a country woman. She had nursed her grie

breaking forth into a furious denunciation of the assassins. She surrendered to her passi

name of the holy saints who could not save him. In the name of the whole world I curse them. May they pray and not be heard. May they repent unforgiven and lie unburied. May every

king with long, tearless sobs. She would have broken out again when he released her had he not commanded her to be silent. He tried to explain that this work of vengeance was not for h

ve swo

eas, he gave up any further effort to move her, sorry that he had raised such a storm. He wen

ried; if we live, we shall

he got but little comfo

ice herself, Lucrezia, even me, to see Martel avenged, and if she does not have her way she will burn herself to ashes. As for Lucrezia, she is demented, and they do nothing all day but scheme and plan with Al

m from this enterprise. It is no matter f

When Margherita talks to me, when I see her high resolve, I am

re her

The bishop who came from Messina to marry Martel and remain

vehemently. "Not that!

all until her grief has

do not know her. But you are

once more to weaken the girl's resolution, but without success. It was with a v

on, occupation. If she remained persistent they would work side by side until justice had been done, and meanwhile he would become a part of her life. He might make himself necessary to her. At least he would prevent her from doing anything rash and perhaps fatal. In time he would prevail upon her to travel, to seek recreation, and then her youth would be bound to tell. That would be the work of a friend indeed, that would remove at least a part of the o

gram. Even before he opened it he guessed its contents, and his spirits sank. Was he never

cablegram

e qu

NEA

e mandarin-tree peering in at the open window and wrote his answer. He did not try to deceive himself; the mere fact that Dr. Kenear had been summoned from New Orleans showed as plainly as the message i

eded here," the soldier assured him, "and you would have to go, even though you were. You made your statement at the inquest; there is not

ould know Nar

d has carried them away. We are precisely where we were at the start. Perhaps it is fortunate for you that you have not been calle

fears for the Countess, and after a brief hesitation he told the soldier what he

ring old reprobate who will spread news instead of gather it. He has a bad record, and although he loved Martel and

is why I shall return to

make every effort in your absence." The Colonel extended his hand, and Norvin took it, feeling some relief in the knowledge that there was at least one man close to the girl upon whose caution he could rely and upo

g on his way to Messina, where a boat was sailing for Naples that night. But he found no change in the Countess; on the contrary, sh

wait until I ret

r head and s

ourselves, amico mio;

make it necessary for me to r

are a foreigner and you will forget. It

me time to pr

f duties. Martel, you see, was only your friend. But with me it is different.

eason to say I

, there is the other woman. You will s

oggedly, "I shall

he

nth from now-two mo

st, at peace in a way. But something drives me, Signore, and I cannot promise. If you should not forget, if you should

you that your life is not hopelessly wrecked, and to

ly into his eyes, but if she saw what lay in them

," she said, "but I shall only pray for your safety

tly to devote his whole life to her