The Net

the compartment, and settled himself for the short journey, he felt a kind of irrational surprise at the fact that there had been no changes during his absenc

had willfully abandoned urgent duties, to his own great loss and to the intense disgust of his friends, in order to come back according to his promise. His return had been delayed from week to week, from month to month, in spite of all he could do, and meanwhile his thoughts had not been in America at all, but in Sicily, causing him to fret and chafe at

l. They contained hardly a suggestion of that warmth and intimacy which he had known in her presence. Her last letter, now quite old, had added to this impressio

Sicily, I beg of you to let things take their course and give up any idea of returning here. There is nothing that you can do, particularly since time has proved your fears for our safety to be groundless. It is kind a

close and real, despite the miles that separate us. We shall cherish it and the memory of your loyalty to Martel. Meanwhile, you must not feel bound by your promise to come back, which was not a promise, aft

ell. We have

fully, MARGH

could not help feeling his lack of delicacy, his disloyalty to Martel, in confessing his love while the Count was still alive; if she really believed him to be in love with some other woman, it would necessitate sooner or later an exp

es upon an especially nice sense of honor, which had been conspicuous even in a country where bravery and chivalrous regard for women are basic ideals. Having been reared in such an atmosphere, the young man looked upon his own behavior with almost as much surprise as chagrin. He had always taken it for granted that if he should be confronted with peril he would behave himself like a man. It was inexplicable that he had failed so miserably, for he had no reason

shed more difficult tasks, he reasoned; thieves had made themselves into honest men, criminals had become decent. Why, then, could not a coward school himself to become brave? It was merely a question of will power, not so hard, perhaps, as the cure of some drug habit. He made up his min

d the road briskly a goat-herd, flat upon his back in the sun, was piping some haunting air; a tinkle of bells came from the hillside, the vines were pur

the big gates closed. Since no one appeared in answer to his summons, he m

ried. "This is good we

d up at him uncer

heaven are sm

ontessa Margheri

business takes them,

Messina,

rha

ing fr

dded. "They are visiti

's hopes had been so high, his disappointment was so keen, that he failed

y soon. Within a year-fiv

ha

it pleases them." He chuckled a

st with me. I have traveled a long way to

knows. If ever I was

umping about like a kid

he queried, "You are

sed angel,

vin laid a hand upon the old fell

ecognize the American?-the Signore Blake, who came here with the Coun

to his visitor's face, waggi

ou? Yes, yes! I remember as if it were yesterday when you came riding up with that most illustrious gen

l me what I

have

he

may he live a million years in hell!

u m

sins. My padrona has set out to say good morning t

, for he could not credit t

here?

s never twice in the same place. He has the ears of a fox. So long as the soldiers went tramping back and forth he laughed. Then he must have h

e Donna Tere

a cat. She is too old

ot leave her beh

ntess and her aunt were merely traveling and Aliandro had construed their trip into a journey of vengeance. He had doubtless spent all his time meditating upon the murder of his friend and benefactor, and that was a subject which might easily unbalance a stronger mind. Ten months had wor

But I will tell you something, Excellency-a scandal to make your blood boil. She left that money with the notary. And now, what do you think? He gives me scarcely enough for tobacco! Once a week, sometimes oftener, I go down to the village and whine like a beggar for what is mine. A fine man to trust, eh? May he lie unburied! Sometimes I think I shall have to kill him, he is so hard-h

ease you." Norvin handed the old ruffian a gold coin, greatly to his

the same questions you asked. Some of them know me, and I know some who think I do not. They would like to trick me into betraying

s to the village, where the notary confirmed practically all the old man had said, but d

ave the honor to look after the castello during their absence

expect them

for her to wish never to see it again? She consulted me once regarding a sale of all the lands, and only last week some men came with a letter from the bank at Messina. They were Englishmen, I believe, or perhaps Germans-I can never tell the difference,

ardi was n

not been heard from since that terrible night which we both remember. Now this Cardi, well, he is imaginary. If he were flesh and blood the c

t catch Narcone, an

r thought of it in that light. Perhaps there is such a

s Colone

ssina. Perhaps he coul

rst train back to Messina and that evening found him at Neri's rooms. The Colonel w

e Countess left Sicily to

from the time you left for America until her own departure, but I never knew what she discovered. Th

others. You still believ

by that Sicilian trait of secrecy and by some very potent terror. We tried our best to get to the bottom of this fear I mention, but we could not. It was more than the customary distrust and dislike of the law; It was a lively personal dread of some man or body of men, The fact that we have been working nearly a year now without result would

rdo's belief,

t I have no proof. Cardi may still be in Sicily, althou

dee

rticular outrage. I think we will convict them for something or other, however; at any rate, we have broken up this gang, even though we have lost the two men we most desired. Narcone went to Naples. He may be the

nks! We're having trouble enough

t now, before we go further, you must te

arrived in time to see her, to be

ri. "It is no wonder you could not retu

ired a strong hand to straighten them out. Yet all the time I knew I was needed here; I knew the Countess was in want of some one to

soldier. "I pleaded with

ppear in this fashion. She will have

ffairs are in good shape a

bank know her

instructed the

o there in the morning

ou hel

then said, "You will pardon this question, I hope, but since she ha

evenge and hatred are bad companions for a woman and that it would be a great pity if Margherita Ginini did not allow herself to love and be loved. I think you were right. I'm afraid to let her follow this quest of he

lways loved her, even though I am old enough to be her father, and I would give my life to see her-well, to see her your

erican with an odd breathlessness. "But d

not yet

of my winning her? I thought so once, b

ieve is reasonably certain. I will give you a letter to the police there, and they will help you. It is possible that we excite ourselves unduly; perhaps you will have no difficult

to be held until she advised further. Her cousins were under the impression that she had taken her aunt to northern Italy for a change of climate and believed that she could be found in the mountains somewhere. Blake was not long in discovering that while

credible that a woman so conspicuous and so well known as the Countess of Terranova should be so hard to find unless she had taken unusual pains to hide her identity. If such were the case the search promised many difficulties. Nevertheless, he set about it energetically, sparing no expense and yet preserving a certain caution in order not to embarrass the Countess. He reasoned that if

tion to America, that land of freedom and riches whither all the scum of Europe was floating. Why should they turn to Italy, the mother country, when the criminals of Europe were flocking across the westward ocean to a richer field which offered little chance of identification? It seemed certain now that Margherita had taken up the work in earnest; nothing less would have drawn her to the United States. Blake gave up his last lingering doubt regarding her intentions, but he vowed that if her resolve were firm, his should be firmer; if her life held nothing but thoughts of Martel, his held not