A Creature of the Night

tless have been fascinated by her gracious affability; but, in spite of her courtesy, I could hardly speak to her without a feeling of repulsion. This beautiful woman, so suave, so smiling, s

Italian, for in spite of all my efforts to feel at ease in her society, yet I was unable to do more than behave with strained

nk gracefully into a velvet-cushioned chair, and permitted her courtiers to retail all the news of the day for her amusement. I am afraid this description sounds somewhat hyperbolical, but indeed it is the only way in which I can describe this woma

e beast was there, the desire for slaughter and the lust for blood. What made me indulge still more in this fancy was the colours of the dress she wore black and yellow--all twisted in and out with a curious resemblance to the sleek fur of the beast to which I had likened her. The soft glimmer of the pearl strings twined in her magnificent red hair seemed out of place as ornaments for this woman; but the rubies suited her nature well, the red, angry rubies th

o! Every one has felt it, in a more or less degree, according to their nervous susceptibility. At the present time, with all my senses on the alert for unexpected events, it was therefore little to be wondered at that I felt the magnetism of Beltrami's gaze, and, on looking up, saw his keen black eyes fixed upon me

this young Italian; but his face, in spite of my friendship, repelled me--in a less degree, it is true, but still it repelled me in the like manner as did that of the Contessa Morone. So he was going to marry her. Well, they were certainly well-matched in every respect, and if the man had not the active wickedness of the woman, still the capability of evil

th an enigmatic smile walked across to whe

with a swift glance at the Contessa,

Marchese. You will ha

hope. Tell me, mon am

fore replying, and then

king, Signor L

! and

you my reasons, but I h

nquisitive look in his dark eyes, an

y friend," he said, turning a

on his shoulder

rami, you do not

se! I understand be

rust for which I could not account. He could know nothing of the affair at the Palazzo Morone, so there certainly could be no reason for suspicion on his part. She was a beautiful woman, a rich woman, an attractive woman, so with this trinity of perfections she decidedly merited a warmer love than Beltrami appeared inclined to give her. Could it be t

re they were, for as he adjusted her cloak and aided her to rise, in order to return to the box, I saw that she accepted all his politeness with forced civility and cold smiles. So then she did not love him--he had almost openly acknowledged to me that

e had murdered, and I was horrified in the cold

if anything has been he

n a second at me, and I felt more bewil

quickly, before the others could speak; "he has van

observed the Contess

sure o

r, upon which, impelled by some mysterious impuls

do not think Signor Pallan

ok at me which seemed to pierce my soul. Only Beltrami was unmoved

go, and why do

, Marchese, n

fancy that may

al anything I knew, particularly in the presence of the woman so deeply implicated in the affair. Beltrami's mocking manner irritated me fearfully, the more so as it was so very una

o Madame Morone, but she dismi

wish to speak with this S

to conceal the smile on his lips, left the room. As soon as he had disap

say the tenor Pallanza w

ing determined to baffle her curiosity; "I

ow Signor

not the pleasure o

A

o see whether I was speaking the truth. Apparently she was satisfied with

Rome, when he sang at the Apollo, and I hoped to see him again here, therefore I am annoyed at his disappearance an

all selfish, madame, for I

him in Milan. Will you not hear

madame, I will say no, a

picion that I knew something of Pallanza, that I was anxious to get away as soon as possible. She, saying goo

l! the Contessa tel

see you aga

and I am always at home in the afternoon. Do not fail to

and I asked

ut w

t meeting' A rivederci! Signor Hugo. Don't forg

allet would be more than I could bear, as I was so excited over the meeting with the Contessa Morone, therefore I strolled up and down the street, smoking and

d see her looking hither and thither as if searching for some one. She could not see me, and in order to satisfy myself in every way as to her identity with

a kind of gasping cry as she fell back into the arms of

tter, cara?" he

a grasp that it made him wince, and

za! Pal

of discovery, I threaded my way quickly am

ad yet to discover where she had hidden the body of her victim--and then!--