Taquisara

hing and the bad thing with equal strength to grow great and multiply side by side, and it is not the privilege of the good thi

er way in darkness, she got back to the sofa, and falling upon it, buried her face in the cushions, and bit them, lest she should cry out. She fe

r, until it had been almost done, how necessary it was. Yesterday she had been more cynical. Her own wickedness was teaching her the necessity of some good, and she saw now clearly that Bosio was one degree less base than herself. She believed that he would now be willing to ma

at her face betrayed her, and had turned it away; she had known that her hands were icy cold in his, and had hoped that he would not notice it and understand, and feel, perhaps, that his accursed habit of fidelity would not let him take the freedom she thrust upon him. He had not seen, he had not felt, he had noticed nothing; and he was gone, glad to be free from her at last, willing to marry another woman, ready to forget what had held him by a thread which he respected, but not by a bond which he could not break. She had long guessed how it was; she knew it now-she had known the truth last night, when s

t against the life of deception she had imposed upon him; but in respect of his manhood, it was mean. For good is what men are, when they are doing good. It cannot be the good itself, which, though it profit many, may be so done as to stab and wound the secret enemy of the man's own heart. The good such a man does the whole world is but the knife in his hand wherewith to hurt the one. B

might go well, standing ready at hand to throw her weight upon the scale-beam if fate alone would not bear down the side that bore her safety. She had said all that she could say to Veronica and to Bosio. Gregorio Macomer, her husband, whom she hated and despised, but whom she was saving, or trying to save, with herself, carried the effrontery of his sham-honest face and cold manner through it all,

sidering his nature, it was natural that he should, even in such extremity, attempt to throw a side-light of dignity upon his misfortunes, and should call crimes by names which suggested honest dealing to the ordinary hearer, such as 'transfere

nica chosen to protest; and it was an indubitable fact that Gregorio Macomer had taken large sums after the guardianship had legally expired. There had been none to hinder him and Lamberto Squarci from doing as they pleased. The cardinal was deeply

far she can rely upon her face and voice. She knew when she rose from the sofa that she could go through the remainder of the day well enough; and though her eyes gleamed hungrily, there was a cynical smile on her lips as she turned

ost without the help of his breath. His face was like stone, but as he opened his mouth to let out the wreathing smoke, his lips smiled in an unnatural way. Matilde half unconsciously compared him to one of those grimacing Chinese monsters of grey porcelain, made fo

e closed the door and came forward

lew the clouds of smoke fr

d Matilde, "leave everything to me. Do n

king a book from the table, but not yet op

n unfortunate. But I have great confid

e, coldly. "It would be hard, if the

rse, you hav

uivered and her brow contracted spasmodically. She hated his voice at all times, as she hated him and all that belonged to him and his

?" she asked impatiently. "W

owever, in the present state of our family affairs, a little laughter might divert our thoughts. Hav

carefully, as a singer wo

ur ago. I did not ask him why he did not come

And the

imed scornfully. "The rest is as well as i

d take bread, as to question whether a poor man will accept a fortune, especially in such an agreeable shape. It is quite

not refused. She wish

of December. There are just three weeks. By the bye, Matilde

hich she knew him to be quite capable, yet, on general principles, she distrusted him so wholly and profoundly that she determined to deceive him as to the place in which she kept it. Being clever at con

id. "Do you wish to

d held it up before him. He recogniz

know it by heart. I only w

generally carry the key about with me," she added carelessly, "but I have no pocket in t

r of deception showed itself in the spontaneous facility with which she went through a complicated little scene, quite

er near the door," he suggested. "You can easily

as well that you should know where it is

d she thrust the key under the do

ould not have thought of that. It is a pity that you have not been able

red Macomer, thoughtfu

n will be a very good

ich we have passed. If

will be much better. I

the girl, I might prefe

d at him sidew

," she said, as though it

N

ter filled the room again for a moment, and she st

not laugh in that way,"

ng to laugh at,

econd time in a quarter of an hour. How odd it would be if I were to laugh u

d Matilde, not guessing wh

had hidden the key, but she now rose and went to him. He was still standing before the window, though he had finished his ciga

rstand that you are nervous and over-strained

en, all at once, his features assumed an expr

ink you are quite right. I really am

of manner, but was glad to find th

ly. "You will be better in a day o

laughing in this absurd way, for instance, just to look at me without saying anything-you understand-it will recall me to myself. I am convinced t

way, without any reason, somebody might think so. I

unpleasant smile. "I think I will go

e a man tired, for he held himself as erect as ever, with his head thrown back

you?" she asked, before

, half tur

ous, my dear. I will take a little aconite for my

pathy," said Matilde, indifferently. "But, of course,

hirty or forty drops of it in water. Of course, that would be too much for a person not used to taking it. But it i

Matilde, turning her face from

would stop the heart altogether, but a little of it is excellent for palpitations. Do you suffer from them?

hotographs on the mantelpiece. "I am afraid of those things. They

culiarity of those vegetable-those strong vegetable medicines. They

as silent

to a little palpitation of the heart, and if you will give me a bott

ties. I will bring i

y we

dreadful laugh outside. In an instant she reac

o! Do no

and there was no