Pietro Ghisleri

e might be harder moments in store for her, but this had been the hardest she had known hitherto. Nothing short of a real and great love, she believed, could have carried her through it, a

t without consulting any one. Many people said later that she had sacrificed herself for Lord Herbert's expected fortune, or for his position. A few said that she was a very good woman and that, finding herself neglected, she had decided to devote her life to the happiness of a very unhappy man for whom she felt a sincere friendship. That was at least the more charitabl

ful, though with little colouring. She looked what she was, a woman of the world, very far from worldly, not conscious of half the evil that went on around her, and much given to inward contemplation of a religious kind when not actively engaged in social duty. She had seen Laura's growing appreciation of Arden and had n

always together. I have a great admiration for Lord Herbert. As far as position goes, there is nothing better, and I suppose he is rich enough to support you, th

by too direct a reference to Arden's physical shortcomings.

I do not mind that-if I do not think of it at all when I am with him, why should any one else care

d of how she would make everything easy for poor Arden, and make him quite f

a very serious thing. There is no drawing back afterwards,

w can you thi

he poor man's heart. He is very sensitive, it is not every man who faints when he find

e much happier," said Laura, kissing her mother

Princess spoke in a lower voice, and turned away

her dressing-chair. "What is it?" she asked anxi

he Princess, drawing the young head down to

dly ones enough who would have received the news far more gladly than the Princess of Gerano did; and there are doubtless many who would refuse a c

e should marry a man of her own faith, and ultimately live among her own people, since nothing could make either a Catholic or a Roman of her. But he was not altogether pleased with her choice. He had an Italian's exaggerated

old the news to every one did Arden communicate it to Ghisleri. He had perfect confidence in his friend's discretion, but having said that he would not speak of the engagement to any one until

d simply, but he glanced at Ghisleri's fac

ngratulate you with all my heart," answered

Arden was very

venings with her in other people's houses, there was no reason why you should not marry-accordingly, I took

n la

ever enter one of our

reputation for devout obedience to

low, it is not that of a saint. But

mes do, but not generally in the Corso, nor on the Pin

t little church in Dieppe, just before you went off

and was seized with a passing ague of premature

in his turn. "I was talking with Miss Carlyon about you some t

w a little better what I am doing," answered Ghisl

thought of what had happened to him there years ago, and of the consequences. Arden knew nothing of the associations the

"Are you good, bad, or a humbug? You cann

, with a dry laugh. "Let us talk of your marriage instead of speculating on my salvatio

e, and they drove far out, talking of

tain. And the whole world was well aware that his father had cut him off with a pittance on account of his evil ways, and that his brother had twice paid his gambling debts to save the family name from disgrace. Englishmen as a race, and English cripples in particular, were given to drink and high play. The man had actually been the worse for wine when talking to Laura Carlyon in her mother's house, and Ghisleri had been obliged to carry him out for decency's sake before anything worse happe

ndly at the club, for having gone to the Gerano party at all when he should have known that he was not steady. Of the facts themselves they had not the slightest doubt. Unfortunately for one of them who happened

he doctor and I took him home together. I hope that none of you will take up this disgusting story, which was started by t

nd him as though to ask their advice in the matter. Several of them nodded almost imperceptibly, as though counselling him to do as Ghisleri requested. There was nothing at all aggressive in the latter's manner, either, as he quietly lit a cigarette while waiting for the other

night, and half an hour before the occurrence you are discussing, Lord Herbert was standing beside me, talking of the Egyptia

into put his very black cigar between his teeth agai

ave been the merest folly to continue any opposition. Moreover,

got on hearsay, and the whole story is evidently a fabrication which we ought to deny.

affair? You all seemed to be in the dark, and I wanted to clear the matter u

all the men were afraid of Ghisleri, who was a duellist, and of San Giacinto, who was a giant, and who had taken the trouble t

the living, they decided that the wedding should be as quiet and unostentatious as possible. The old Prince, however, though far too conscientious to have settled a penny of his inherited fortune upon Laura, even if she had chosen to marry a pauper, was not ungenerous in other ways, and considered himself at liberty to offer the pair some very magnificent silver, which he was able to

wherein no man can dance, nor woman either, and they amused themselves with a contempt for human life which would have amounted to heroism if displayed in a good cause. "They" of course means the gay set of that particular year. As the Princess of Gerano gave regular informal dances, and two balls at the end of Carnival, she and her daughter were considered to belong more or less to the company

ns of the season, as he expressed it. The supper should be at the usual dinner hour instead of at one o'clock, because the gay set was not altogether as scarlet as it was painted, and did not, as a whole, care to dance into the morning of Ash Wednesday. The tableau should represent Carnival meeting Lent. The Contessa dell' Armi should be in it, and Ghisleri, and Donna Adele, and possibly San Giacinto might be induced to

friend?" asked Gouache, as he tal

ng for me to say," answered the lat

d against and cannot get through it. You have never sent a picture to the Salon without naming it, or you would understand exactly what I mean. They took a picture I once painted, as an altar piece, for a

Then he laughed. "I will try-though I am no poet. I

sions, and he had long been in the habit of throwing into a rough, impersonal shape, the thoughts that crossed his mind about himself and others, when he was alone at night. Being, as he very truly said, no poet, he quickly tore up such odds and ends of halting rhyme or stumbli

his pencil he thought of Gouache's suggestion. In a couple of hours he had got what he wanted and went to sleep. The great artist liked the

d a few others, sat down to the dinner which Anastase was pleased to call a supper. Every one was very gay. Almost every one was in some fancy dress or mask, there was no order of precedence, and all were placed where they would have the best chance of amusing themselves. The halls of the studio, with their magnificent tapestries and almost

in the middle, like the door of a church. When every one was seated, a deep, clear voice spoke out a little prologue from behind the scenes, and the figures, as th

nt light flashed upon silver and gold, dyed itself in amber and purple wine, ran riot amongst jewels, and blazed upon many a fair face and snowy neck. The clocks were all stopped, lest some tinkling bell should warn men and women that the day of

om the dance, with shreds of gauze and lace; many chairs were overturned; the light streamed down like day upon a great desolation; the heated air was faint with the sad odour of dead flo

g whither, nor hearing the tinkling mandolines and changing

tones from behind the scenes, playing scarcely above a whisper,

bells struck twelve, while the mandoline still continued. "Then, all at once, I was aware of two figures in the gloom, advancing towards the door of a chur

dress, grasping a heavy rosary in her folded hands. Behind her came San Giacinto, recognisable only by his colossal statu

inued the reader, "a wild train

heir eyes bright, their steps cadenced to the rhythm of the waltz tune which now broke out loud and clear-fair young women with flushed cheeks, all life, and motion, and laughter; and young men following them closely, laughing, and talking, and singing, all dancing in and out with changing steps. The

it was like my own. The features were mine, but upon them were reflected all the sins o

and disappeared on the opposite side of the stage. Ghisleri alone stood still before the sain

and she drew back as though from contamination, to the monk's side for protection. I knew her face when I saw it-the face I have known

d passionate expression, and he did his best to render his own irregular verses both intelligible and movin

st! You the saint, I

old; I the world-wo

season here, wit

lvation and-well-

e have met this ye

ed to make feel, and

, dear Saint, had

aintship, or I t

ot to kill the

he world then, as

Major Michael ga

mind you, taking

en on the same s

er lost souls, as it'

and tumble into t

Now tell me-yo

of our season? W

et friend, you

two months' hard-fo

ave lost the game

ed-perhaps-but

, friend Saint, wha

odness, could I

tle peddler's pac

wn, when they tur

de with souls.

enance they gave

ded from heaven to tas

asted it, you wo

re passably sweet

els, whose tastes

e you! I hate yo

, your vague c

d for me, whose

e fury you ha

end a little.

est, of what our

damnation-ther

ine-what I am, a

ouls we have play

u have lost on a car

in ire, by one short,

n pinions of fire, to

I have won, while y

your senseless saintly t

Dry your eyes; yo

hat it is worth, and come

riot envy the s

himself where I coul

-hell's fruit would

his fill at the fe

re horribly good! Oh

your graces, your beaut

own in the depths of

changel physician mig

eaven; there's a heaven

u is salvation to me.

broken confessions

of hate that haunts lov

d-to see dead both t

other, twin victims

thing beyond Satan's

t for whom God has o

eing whose searing h

nner to brand him with

re scoff at me-and I

autiful soul with te

or a woman, when nigh

poem, makes a poem o

feet for your soul and

I lose you-Lose y

eet creature of heaven,

re, and I know that m

tter than I-by th

better than I by

Being Magnificent

ight that is his, i

God got of his streng

rst and weighed down i

to be pure, my ang

u to the light, wh

darkness and count

ll you pray for, th

ssing, showered u

stand on the consecr

tle nature, give

els-and falls, as a hea

ho loves and a ma

t's joy that ends

r touch that I love

empire for the Ki

ng and torturing, I will

eyes heavenward and f

lying to truth, a

love me-and give

persuasion he possessed into his voice. But it was most probably the Contessa's love of surprising the world which led her to do the contrary of what was expected. At the last line of his speech, she made one wild gesture of despair, and threw herself backward upon