HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1892-3-31, Page 6A BARITONE'S DEVOTION ;
OR A TAL131 Oln SUNNY I'nALY,
Now, Conterio bad his baek to the door,
but he could see all that was passiug he the
mirror, and he was quick to seize the oppor-
tunity of wounding his fee.
"Miss. Batton, the heautifel English
girl 1" he exclaimed, "Yes, yes; I saw her
only the other day. She's quite the rage
just now at Neplce."
Set:clean glanced from the cold, eleven
cruel face of ,Comeiro to the face of his
friend. The words evidently stung Carlo.
He paused for a minute with his hand on
the door, but quickly regaining a composure
that uader the circumstances was masterly,
he came forwerd, greeted Corned° in his
ceremonious Italian way, and contrived to
keep the conversation pretty nmeh in his
own bends thronglaout the call. Sardoni,
in his earele.ss, easy fashion, helped him
not a. little by making a running &e of
jests and bad puns, while all the time
he was studying that strange trio who
beneath his eyes were acting so grave a
drama—Nita, nervous and excited ;
Comerio, with his contemptible hatred and
contemptible love showing occasionally
througb the thiu veneer of ordinary polite-
ness ; and the Knight-errant himself, with
Ms manly, alert looking face, and his envia-
ble way of saying the right thing at the
right n
Cleresinly, Commie gained little that
afternoon ; but hie pursuit had unsettled
Arnett, and though Carlo could not make
out that she saw him except every now and
then in the greenroom when many others
were present, yet he knew that there had
never been a time when his hopes had so
nearly been defeated.
It was scene relief to get away from Lou-
don, for in the provinces he felt that the
sword ot Damocles was not so immediately
above them. In the meantime, however,
hia cough grew worse, and he began to look
very delicate—at least, so thought Gomez
and Sardoni, the only two people who
really watched him.
It was one night at Birmingham that
Gomez managed to give his enemy the
sharpest stab he had yet delivered. For
some days Carlo had been in wretched voice,
and on this particular evening he was con-
scious that his performance had been worse
than usual. He came into the green -room
feeling .' worn out and dispirited. Gomez,
Barden' Nita and two or three others, were
groupedabout the fire. Nita, in her elder -
sisterly fashion, began to upbraid him.
"You sang execrably, Carlo 1" she said,
thrusting her little daintily -shod foot nearer
the blaze' and looking far from pleasant as
she liftedher bright, cold eyes to his. "You
put me out altogether in that last scene.
It's intolerable 1"
"1 am sorry I put yon out," he said,
with the pained look which he seldom man-
aged to repress when Nita attacked him.
"Don't discourage him ; that's not fair
on a beginner 1" said Gomez. "See,
Donati, there's a Critique on your Rig,o-
letto ' in the evenina'paper.
And he handed. itto him with a sarcastic
ittle bow.
"Too bad! too bad 1" exclaimed some of
the others; but they laughed, nevertheless,
for the new baritone had hitherto received
nothing but praise, and they thought a
change of diet would be good for him, while
to them it was undoubtedly sweet.
Carlo took the paper without a word, and
read the notice through, knowing quite well
that Gomez would not have drawn his at-
tention to it bad the criticism been favor-
able. It was not his way to pretend to be
indifferent to the press; he did not care for
the praise or blame or suggestion, and never
tried to disguise his feeling, though nothing
would have induced him to win favorable
notices by any efforts of his own. Criticism
had, however, much to do with his failure,
and on his success hinged all his plans for
Nita's protection; so that he fully recog-
nized the fact so well put by Macready,
that" We cannot read our history in a
nation's eyes,' but we can in the daily
papers."
"It is quite true," he said, throwing
down the journal with a stifled sigh. "1
acted badly last night and sang worse.
They have every reason to pitch into me."
"The fact is, you're not fit to sing at all,"
said Gomez, affecting a tone of friendly
advice. "You are ill, and need a long
rest."
" No, no," said Carlo, quickly ; "it is
nothing but this awful climate. I shall be
all right when it gets warmer. I mean to
go in for an ammouiaphone, and see if man-
ufactured Italian air won't work wonders."
" Well," said Gomez, " Comerio pro-
phesies that he shall go to America with
us next September, and I believe his pro-
phesy will come true."
Carlo glanced at his sister, and read in
her face excitement—even, he fancied, hope.
He was deeply wounded, as Sardoni, who
had been idly looking on without taking
art in the talk, could. see.
"Ladies and gentlemen for the last act 1"
announced the call boy; and the little
group round the fire dispersed.
Carlo, whose part in the opera was over,
lefb the green -room with Anita, walking
with her to the wings.
"1 hope I shall be able to stay with you,"
he said, in a low voice, feeling that he must
win from her some word which would con-
tradict the look he feared he had seen in
her face.
"Do you ?" she said, coldly. "It is sat-
isfactory to see how you like the life. I
should have thought, now your voice has
gene off so much, you would have been glad
enough if Merlin° chooses to end your en-
gagement in the summer. For my part, I
wish he would 1"
The tone of bitter dislike in which he
apoke was more than he could hear. He
turned away, and shut himself in his dress-
ing -room, where preeently Sardoni found
him with his arms on the mantel -piece, his
face hidden, and his whole frame shaken
with sobs.
"Why, Val 1" exclaimed his friende"has
that brute of a Spaniard vexed you so
much ?" '
Go, go 1" he exclaimed vehemently in
"You can't understand 1"
"I'll be hanged if I go 1" said Sardoni,
laying e hand on his shoulder. "Bless your
innocence! do you think no Englishman has
ever shed tears 2 1 ltneW what it was; it
was not Gomez—it was something Madame
Merlin° said to yon just now." '
Carlo raised lus head, thruet both hands
through his hair, and, still keeping his face
hidden, said in a voice which straggled in
vain to steady itself :
" She hopes ib will be as he said. She
wiehes nie to gm It is all of no use; I can
do nothieg for her—nobhing 1"
"Now, look here 1" said Sardoni " it's
• not a bit of goon for yeti to ,try to think
rationally to -night,. Y'ou are bothered by
thab critique end by 3e:stir bad. teception
just now, old by that brute Gomez—and by
beinclred other thine, likely enough.
Yeti juet shelve it all until to -Morrow ; and
,come and have some oysters with me, and
then go to bed like a Chtistimi."
Carlo Made an Wore te recover
and beittIO long, was 'walking hottie atm -his
arm With Sardotd, hie hat relied over his
Oyear
"he foot is, old felloW, you re long Int
toe seneitive fon knoelcing about with erten
of the calibre of Gomez and Coinerio," •said
Sordoni. HoweVea, you would AeYel` act as
you do a you weren't sensitive, so it outs
both ways." .
CHAPTKR XXII.
A Bascom
Mr. George Britton was a man who sel-
dom ate the bread 0 idleness, and Binge hie
hurried visit to Naples in the early summer
his holidays had. been few and far between.
A. cruise of a few days in the Pilgrim before
the close of the yachting season had been
all he could snatch from his buoy life, for he
was one of those men who are alweys going
out of their way to help other people, and
this cannot be done 'without an expenditure
of time and labor which is often scarcely
realized. He was so kind-hearted, so genial
a man, that he numbered his friends by
hundreds; and his life brought him into
contact with each hosts of people that it
was often all he could do to remember the
names of those he had helped, to say
nothing of their inees. He had not, how-
ever, altogether forgotten Carlo Donati;
more than once he had thought of his pretty
niece's ill-fated love -story, bat, having pro-
mised to say nothing about it, even to Miss
Claremont, he had thought it best to men-
tion Carlo's name as little as possible.
Mr. Britton's business often took him
from Ashborough, where his own works
were carried on, to a place in the neighbor-
ing county—Mardentown ; and one cold,
dreary March afternoon he was pacing the
platform of the Mardentown station wait-
ing for the train that was to take him
home. He was not alone. One of his
many acquaintances had walked to the
station to see him off, and was pouring out
some of his own tr oubles into the shipbuilder's
sympathetic ears, when he became conscious
that his friend was not listening quite so
attentively as usual, and following the
direction of his eyes, exclaimed :
" Oh 1 you are noticing those Italians. I
thought they all went off yesterday ; there
was quite a crowd oethem last night. It's
an operatic company; that's the impresario,
that sullen.faced man with a black beard ;
and that's his wire, the prima donna of the
party. I suppose the rank and file went
off yesterday and left a few of the swells
behind."
Curious," said Mr. Britton, glancing
again at the little group; "that fellow is
like a man I met at Naples last year! But,
after all, foreigners always look more or
less alike. He's a handsome fellow, isn't
he ?"
"The young one, do you mean? Yes,
but too small; that's always the way with
Italians. He looks bigger on the stage,
though. I saw him the other night in
Marta.' What on earth was he called—
Sardoni? No ; that was the tenor. I for-
get. One mixes up these outlandish names
so • Look, they are sending him to the
book -stall to get the local papers; no doubt
they want to read the criticisms on their
singing."
The talk turned once more upon other
matters, and the two friends paced up the
platform ; then, warned by the big bell that
the train was coming into the station, re-
traced their steps.
"Good heavens 1" exclaimed Mr. Britton,
clutching his friend's arm. "Look ! A
child on the line 1"
He rushed down the platform, while at
the same instant warning cries, shouts, and
a heart-rending shriek in a woman's voice
filled the air. It was all over in a few
seconds, and yet there seemed time to take
in all the details—the horror of the spec-
tators, the utter helplessness of thechild
himself, who stood terrified and bewildered,
hearing the shouts seeing the train ap-
proeching, and yet too completely paralyzed
by fear to move, literally frightened out of
his wits. Mr. Britton dashed on, and
almost reached the spot when a slight, lithe
figure darted across the platform in front of
him. It was a wonder that they did not
knock each other over, but the Italian just
swerved to the left in time, leaped down on
to the railroad, and ran like the wind to the
rescue of the child. There was a moment
of intense pain to all the spectators ;
people held their breath; would the child
be saved, or would he and his
rescuer be cut down together? The
chances seemed about even; not a little
depended on the man's strength, and the
child might, no doubt, help or hinder his
own rescue. The train was slackening
speed, yet it seezned to advance with a
rapidity that was frightful to watch. It
was almost upon the child; the women hid
their faces, the men strained their eyes to
see what would happen'while the rescuer
gave a cry, at the sound of which the child
turned, ran a step or two with uplifted
hands, and was caught up in the strong
arms of the man who had saved it from
death. The next instant they were in the
six-foot way, and the train passed on and
hid them from view.
Mr. Britton drew a deep breath, andnow
that the horror of the moment was over,
found time to wonder at the cowardice of
the spectators. There were several men on
the platform, some of them far nearer than
he had been at the time the alarm had been
given ; but no one had rushed instantly to
the rescue except himself and the young
Italian who had intercepted him.
"The dear little fellow," said Merlin°,
kissing his son with tears in his eyes. "He
is not hurt? You are sure he is not hurt 2"
"Not a bit, only frightened. How in
the world did. he get down there ?"
"He owes his life to you sir," said the
station master ; "1 never saw a closer
shave 1"
"11 seemed almost upon us," said] Carlo,
" relentless as Juggernaut."
But, though he did not underestimate
the danger, it did not appear to make him
feel the need of a brandy -and -soda. He
turned in the most practical and matter -of-
• fact way to choose a carriage.
"You get in, Nita," he said, opening the
door, "and I'll give you Gigi on your lap."
Mr. Britton, puzzled at the comparative
indifference of the mother, took possession
of a corner seat in the same carriage, and
felt relieved to see that as she tookthe child
she bent down and covered his flee with
kisses. In truth; poor Nita in that moment
of horror had for the first time realizedwhat
the loss of her child vvould be to her ; the
agonyof seeinh him in danger, witlaout being
able to stir a finger tesavehire had touched
into life the motherly love which till no'vi
had laia dormant in her heart.
But the shock had almost stunned
her for the time, and • it was
not till she held Gigi in her arms that any
sign of feeling escaped her. Graalo's face
lighted tip as he save how closely she held
the little fedi:See, and both he and Morliao
were $o much taken up with the child that
ib was not till just the last minute that they
thought of the luggage.
" Did yent see it in, Gomez ?" said Carlo,
turning to the Spaniord, wins had wisconced
himself comfortably in the &sneer opposite
Mit Britton and beside Mademoiselle de
Wane,
1? No I imagined yoU had given
directions," replied Gomez, with the most
irritating sir of debit dignity.
Clarlo sprang tip and put his head out of
the window.
"Ib in gone," he said ; ," it must be all
right"
"4h,' but My bag 1" exolairaed Nita.
"You really Might think Of things for MC 1
meet have left it on one a the benches,"
The Unite was on the point 0 !starting,
Carlo flews; °lase the door and reshed in
illenInwtimp
hg oftihlet losbilait7e:erbeY' Zuclhile Maniey
exrlbit°,
e
hurried acmes the carriage to look from the
windosv.
" Santo aivooI we are moving. !" he
exclaimed. "What induced you to be so
careless, Nita? Valentino will be left
behind—he'll be •too late for the opera.
There I told you so," as the train steamed
on releutleesly, and a porter closed the door
with an arithoritanive bang,regarcling neither
the nerves nor the anxieties of the trevelers.
juet at this minute, however, the train
stopped at a suburban station, and, to the
relief and astonishment of all, Carlo eud-
denly appeared at the door.
Where On earth didyou come from? "
exclaimed Merlin°.
"The guard's van," said Carlo taking
the vacant place beside Mr. Britten, and
evidently perceiving that the atmosphere
was disturbed. Ian). afraid I gave you
all a fright, but there was no chance of get-
ting back to you, only just thne to make a
dash at the last carriage. I seem fated to
run races with the train to -day."
At the first opportnnity he took Gigi on
his knee, and drawing a little further from
Merlin°, and nearer to Mr. Britton, began
to do what he could to check the loud cry-
ing, which was irritating both the father
and mother, and which had resisted all
Nitan coaxing and Merlino's threatening.
"See, Gip, you must be quiet," he said,
lowering his voice a little.
"1 thought you were lost," sobbed the
child; "1 was so frightened—and—and
I've lost my poor, dear little soldier 1"
When he had recounted this catalogue of
woes, his tears rolled down faster teen
ever.
"Yoe shall have another. 'Where did you
lose it?"
"It dropped down where the train goes,
and I jumped down to look for it, but I
couldn't see it nowhere, and then they
shouted, and the train came by."
"Well," said Carlo, holding the child
closer, "you must never get off the plat-
form again at a station; and as to the little
soldier, why we willget a new one to-
morrow at Ashborough. See, dry your eyes,
and be a man, and then we will hear about
Lionbruno, if you like."
"I don't want Lionbruno," said Gigi.
"Well, then, the Fair Fiorito,' or the
Fairy Orlanda,' or shall it be about 13uchete
tino and the Ogre?
"I think I'd like about Gama and eat,
my clothes, eat 1" said Gigi.
Very well," send Carlo. And, in Eng-
lish, since that was the language which
Gigi liked. best to talk, but with all the
graphic imagery of an Italian, he told the
story of Giucca's two visits to the farm ; of
how in his poor clothes they drove him
away with scorn, but when he came in vel-
vet vest and gay raiment they invited him
to dinner; and how in irony he had put the
food in his hat and in his pockets, saying :
"Eat, my clothes, eat ! for you were in-
vited," taking care to make a good dinner
for himself into the bargain.'
"I guess I'm rather hungry just now,"
said Gigi. "May I have a brown dog?"
A "brown dog" proved to be a substan-
tial -looking biscuit, and by the time this
had been discussed Gigi had grown sleepy.
Gomez at the next station changed to a
smoking-carriage,
and Carlo, taking possess-
ion of his empty corner, made the child
comfortable, and suggested a siesta, while
Mr. Britton was glad to have an oppor-
tunity of studying his featutes at
leisure, and trying. to compare them
with his recollections of Carlo Donati when
he had last met him. He saw that there
was a likness, yet at the same time a great
difference, and this Signor Valentino, as he
fancied his name to be, had a look of
strengh about him which Donati had lacked.
"Is this Ashborough ?" Dented Nita, from
the other end of the carriage.
He was startled back into the present by
a voice which seemed to him to be Captain
Britton'.
"Yes ; this is Ashborough, madam."
Could this traveller be the captain's
brother—the "Uncle George "—'hose ar-
rival at Naples he so well remembered?
He felt uncertain. It might be only that
his half dreamy recollections of Casa Bella
had made him fancy some familiar tone in
this Englishman's voice. It was hardly
likely that Mr. Britton should happen to
get into the same carriage with them. Be-
sides, he had never connected him with' the
neighborhood of Ashborough; he fancied
Marlebank was in another county. And
even if this should indeed be Francesca's
unole, would it be very desirable to intro-
duce himself under the circumstances
While ha wondered what to do, the tram
had steamed into the station, and his
doubts were solved and his opportunity lost
at the same moment. Some one on the
platform recognized the gray -bearded Eng-
lishman, and threw open the carriage door.
"Ba, Britton ! are you here? I'm just
off to Queensbury, and will take your vacant
place." •
"How are you?" said the Englishman,
with a hearty gripe of the hand. Any of
my people here, do you know ?"
"The carriage wasn't up just now; hin
dered, very likely ; the town is in an
awful confusion—the races on Monday, you
know."
Carlo heard no more. He had to carry
Gigi to the nearest fly, and the flies seemed
scarce and mostly engaged. When at
length he had secured one, and made over
Gigi to his mother, he had to rush off and
see to the luggage and there was no tim.e to
think any more of his own plans.
In the meantime, hownver, Mr. Britton
had not lost sight of him. He felt strangely
curious as to the movements of these
operatic people, and being obliged to wait
till his own carriage came up, he strolled to
and fro, glancing now out of the station at
the driving rain and the chilly March night,
now at his late companions. As usual, it
appeared that "Signor Valentino" did the
work, the others all crowded into the one
available fly, and sat impatiently waiting
while he hunted up truant trunks and
portmanteaus.
"What an age you have been !" was the
greeting he received. " Yell can't get in
here 1 Perhaps there'll be • another fly by
this time. Do you thilik the men can take
all the luggage outside ?''
"He'll have to," was the reply. "There's
nothing else to be had nor anychance of
gettbig anything. It seems it is the race
Iffe`e'WELI't you change places . with him,
Signor Gomez ?" eaid Nita for once ia her
life prompted to think 'for her brother.
"Rio cough is so bad he oughtn't to be out
on such a night."
Gomez made a dignified excuse, and sug-
gested that if they delayed any longer it
would be impossible to dine before the
opera.
"And by the bye, Val, my dear fellow,
jeet stop in passitig at the theatre," est,
alairned 1Vierlino ; "you'll hotioe it ort your
way to the hotel, and might just ace that
all is right there."
"Very Well. le iny umbrella heady?"
They gave it to htin and drove off, while
Carlo begati to wrap up hie throat in a huge
muffler, looking distestefully ettetigh at the
dark,Muddy streetsatut the torrente of tails.
Was jllat &bent to eet of on his wet
Walk When, on turning to ask the neared
way to the hotel, he Suddenly confronted
Mr. Britton.
"1 am expecting my carriage every
minute," said the Kiiglishmtin, la his kindly
voice, which, but for the Absence of the
slight tone of potronage, avoid have been
exactly like Captain Britton's. "Is hope
you'll anew inc to drive you to your hotel."
"You are most kind," seed Carlo. "
should indeed be very grateful ; but perhaps
I ought to tell you--"
He wee interrupted. Mr Britton glano-
ing round to see it the carriage had come,
chanced to notice a huge advertisement of
Signor Merlino's °peptic Company, and his
eye was instently caught by a name in large
black letters—Seoxon Cann° Omen.
»I must beg a thousand pordous, Signor
Donati, for not recognizing you before 1"
he exeleimed, shaking him /malady by the
hand. "1 thought I knew your face on
the IVIardentown platform, but I heard
them call you by the name of Valentino,
and, moreover,had not the slightest idea
that you were in England or that you had
changed your profession."
The change was only just decided on
when you left Naples, sir," said Garbo, his
color rising a little. "1 hope you have
good accounts from Casa Bella ?"
He tried to subdue the eagerness ,of his
tone, but it was sonie time since he had
heard from Enrico, and the thought of hear-
ing of Francesca in so much more direct as
way made every pulse in him beat fever-
ery, good, indeed," said Mr. Britton.
"They all seem well. Francesca is coming
to stay with no in the sununer. I believe.
It was an old promise, and I think the
change will be good for her. Here is the
carriage, at last. Now I am quite et your
disposal. Shall we call first at the theatre,
and then shall 1 drop you at your hotel?
or are you, too, in a hurry to get your
dinner 2"
He had kindly made a rather lengthy
speech, because he saw how much the Ital.
lien was moved by his reference to Fran-
cesca. Carlo asked to stop at the theatre,
and Mr. Britton, who understood now that
his brother's objection to the marriage had
had to do with the stage and not at all
with political matters, determined to show
that he, at any rate, did not share in his
prejudice.
"1 suppose Valentino is just a nick-
name '• it misled me altogether," he said.
"Babfor that I think I should have spoken
to you, and asked, at any rate, whether you
were related to Signor Donati, the Neapoli-
tan advocate."
Carlo smiled. Not for many months had
he had sucis a pleasure as that friendly talk
with Francesca s uncle.
"11 is the name of what is supposed to
be meebest part—Valentino in Faust,' he
explained.
I see. Well, I muse manage to hear
you in ib. It is twenty years and more
since I heard an opera."
"Then you have never beard Faust !' "
exclaimed Carlo, almost incredulously.
"Ws are to give it to -night; may I really
have the pleas= of getting you an order ?'
"Von are very good '• I should like noth-
mg better," said. Mr. Britton, fully under-
standing that since his ladylove could not
be present to hear him the next best thing
was to have her old uncle, who might pos-
sibly tell her something about it. He felt
convinced that such alhought had flashed
through the young man's mind, and liked
him the better for it, because, after all, it
was so human, so precisely what he himself
would have felt at four -and -twenty.
"You have a very bad cough 1" he ex-
claimed, quite agreeing with the prima
donna that Donati had no business to be
out on such a night.
" Oh, it is only chronic !" said Carlo,
lightly, as if that made it an affair of no
account. "Is this the theatre ! Will you
then come in with me, and choose your
place for to -night ?"
The tioket chosen, Carlo and Mr. Britton
made their way through long and not par-
ticularly clean passages to the region
behind the scenes. Here all seemed con-
fusion ; carpenters and scene -shifters hur-
ried to and fro; there was a babel of talk -
Mg, shouting, hammering ; and Carlo's
arrival was evidently hailed as a relief by
the man in authority, who came quickly up
to him to explain some difficulty that had
arisen, and to ask whether Merlin° would
soon be at the theatre. Mr. Britton, mean-
time, was learning that scenery and stage
illusions were disenchanting enough when
nearly viewed, and in his own mind was
wondering whether anything could possibly
teach him to walk' respectably on the
sloping stage. It was evident that Carlo
was a practical man, for his suggestions
were received as orders, and something
like method began to be traceable in what
had at first seemed the wildest chaos.
"1 must not keep you waiting any
longer," ho said, after a few minutes,
coming up to Mr. Brittou ; "thank you
for all your kindness. They seem to have
got behindhand here, and I must stay and
help them a little."
"But as to blankets, sir, they're every
blessed one of them in use," she added.
"Never mind, one of mine doubled will
do for him," said Carlo, ruthlessly stripping
the truckle -bed. "Now, Gigi, unlock the
trunk for me, and we'll just turn the things
out on the floor and make room for you."
Gigi thought this fine fun ; and what with
pillows and blanket from the truckle -bed,
and clean sheets which the chamber -maid
brought hot from the fire, the improvised
crib was comfortable enough. But to Carlo
it somehow suggested a coffin, and the
thought of the danger the child had been in
made him shudder as he bent down to kiss
him.
"1 do love you so," said Gigi, alleging to
him with all his might. And Carlo hurried
back to the theatre with the words ringing
in his ears, and the feeling of the little
child's arms still about 1118 neck.
CHAPTER XXIII.
‘' MARE."
The school -room ab Merlebank was one of
those comfortable, nondescript sort of rooms
whieh have a charm for most people ; it was
a room where you did not feel beim.' to be
on your best behaviour—a room where you
could read with both elbows on the table,
or lounge in unconventional ease by the fire-
side. It was essentially a snug room, its
green Brusselscarpet was comfortably
shabby, its curtains were old-fashioned
and faded, its walls were erowded with
frameless oilliointings, which the girls had
brought home from the school of art, and the
books in its crowded bookshelves had evi-
deotly seen good serviee. MiSS Claremont
loved the room, and it wan in a great
measure her presence which helped to make
it one df the pleasantest retreats in the
house, Xis lesson hours she knew well
enough how to make any unwary vieitor
feel himself de tiro, but at all other times,
on half.holiclaye, or on Stindaye, or in the
loeg evenings, she liked nothing better than
to sit and talk to any one veho °hoe° to seek
her out.
Latts on that March evening Mr. Britton,
returning ftom Aehborough, made all epeed
toward the sehoolaroonk and, as he had
hoped, found Clare !still sitting Oyer the fire
readingr
"The children have all gone to, bed,"
explained ; "Kate waited till half‘past,
I6, hilt she Wen tited With her choir prat-
tice
"1 am glad to find 37 oil tip," said Mr.
Britton, "for 1 beam a Message to Yon from
oasnoldi
tontshillne041, gov7eclsafolhbrVe-hina,utanglnYiaog.at
.p
iii‘Te°rt uPerx.atilc'deosoQraanleigeIrlsolari,myeod°ae‘
unglD'Tonatf ;
Ise sends you his kind regards and is very
anxious to see
f‘ Well, that is really a delightful sur-
prise," said Clare. "1 should like so much
to meet Jilin again, for as a boy he interested
me a good deal. What can have brought
him to England ?" •
"He has developed a voice and has
earned into an operatic singer. That quite
eXplains erzy brother's determination to have
less to do with him, for you know the cap-
tain disepproves of the stage as much as you
do. However, I think I have managed to
put two and two together'and to form a
pretty shrewd guess as to Donati's YeaSOn
for his ouclden change of Profession. It
seems he has a aster ; did you know her ?"
"She even being educated an a convent
when I was in Italy, but I saw her once or
twice. Poor girin she made some very
foolish marriage, I believe, not long after
we caane to England. I never heard the
rights of the story, but I know she eloped
with some one."
"Oh, that was it 1 Well, she seems to
have paid dearly for her folly, poor thing !
for her husband is a brute; a more sullen,
ill-tempered fellow I never saw. He is the
impresario of this traveling company which
Donati has joined ; the sister, Madame
Merlin°, is the prima donna. Let me see,
what did he call her? Nita, I think."
"That was her name. I remember her
as a demure little girl, shoeleed at Fran-
cescan freedom."
"Well, she eeems to be one of those
pretty, helpless, unhappy wives who atand
in suoh grave need of a pretector. Now
when I was at Naples I heard nothing at all
about this sister, but on the Sunday Dounti
was introduced to me by my brother
as one of the most promising young
advocateat the Neapolitan bar,
and his praisea were sung to
me in a way which I own rather prejudiced
me agaihst hien. I couldn't help liking the
fellow When I saw him, however ; anci you
can imagine • my surprise when on the
Tuesday morning, I found that my brother
had quarreled with him, and that their
friendship was at au end. He had decided
on some coarse of action which the captain
disapproved, and said you would also
disapprove. However, the matter was a
private affair of Domain, and he bound me
over to silence, telling me, however a that I
should soon see all for myself, and
should then agree with him. I got
quite on a wrong tack, and thought it was
some political difference, but surely this is
the true explanation. I appeal to you
now, Miss Claremont, as a reader of
romances, given a pretty actress, with a
brute of a husband, and doubtless some not
too reputable admirers, is it not conceivable
that circumstances might arise which should
induce her father or her brother to sacrifice
everything in order to save her ?"
"Quite," said Clare ; "and Carlo Donati
would be the very man to throw himself
into the breach in that way; there was
something chivalrous about him, something
one doesn't often meet with nowadays: Do
you remember Mrs. Browning's lines s
. The world's male chivalry has periAed out,
But women are knights-errant to the last.
I always thought she wouldn't have written
that if she had known Carlo."
"1 think there is no doubt that he is
playing the part of knight-errant now,"
said Mr. Britton, musingly, "and that he
has a hard time of it. I doubt if he will
succeed, though. The sister seemed to me
a very shallow, heartless little woman. He
is a noble fellow, much too goocltobewasted
on such a life."
He gave Clare a detailed account of what
had passed that afternoon.
"1 ain sorry he has gone on the staaare,"
she said. "1 hoped he would have done
eareat things It seems to me that a man
like that might have wonderful influence in
pubclicndy
bus."
"And
,A
in some ways he is admirably
fitted for his present work," said Mr. Brit-
ton. "His voice is very fine, and his
acting really first-rate • I went to hear him
to -night, and was delighted with him.
Would you care to see him to -morrow? I
want you to look him up, for I think, poor
fellow, he is leading the life of a dog; and
he seeme'd so pleased at the thought of
meeting you again. I have promised that
the carriage shall take the vicar into Ash -
borough in the afternoon; he preaches at
St. Cyprian's in the evening. Would you
like to go in, too? You might, perhaps, go
for a drive with young Donati."
" It would be the best chance of seeing
him alone," said Clare. "Thank you, I
think I will go, and on Sunday I suppose
he is sure to be disengaved."
Accordingly the next day Clare, having
set down the vicar at St. Cyprian's parson-
age, drove to the Royal hotel, and sent in
her card with a little penciled message ask-
ingCarlo to °eine for a drive. deAs she
waited there she felt a little anxious, and
even shy, for after all it was many years
since she had been seen Carlo. Would
time have raised a harrier between tlaern ?
Would Signor Danati, the public singer, be
less approachable than the frank, light-
hearted, Italian boy, who at onetime almost
worshiped her? The first glimpse of him,
however, dispelled all her fears; he came
uickly forward with the same edger,
boyish manner which she recollectedso well,
and took both her hands in his.
"How good, how kind of you to come 1"
he exclaimed. "This is the greatest pleas-
ure I have had for a long time. Gigi "—he
turned to pick up a small boy—" this is
Miss Claremont. Should you mind, Clare,
if I brought him with me? Sanday has
come to be considered his special property."
Clare was delighted to welcome the little
fellow, and made many inquiries about his
narrow escape of the previous day.
"What a great pleasure it must be to
you now to feel that you saved him !" she
said. "1 have often wondered how a
rescuer would feel afterward." '
"It's a satisfaction to feel that I have not
failed in one thing undertaken," said Carlo,
rather sadly. .
At first sight Clare had thought him
hardly altered, but on looking more cloFely
al him she saw that his face, when in repose,
bore signs of friction aud, though sbill very
young -looking, told plainly of grief and sor-
row undergone.
"That is a sad way of putting in" she
said. "1 thought, too, that you had Bitch
very great succese ; Mr. Britton led me to
l?elieVo So."
"Von see " be replied, "every artist
leads a double life ; just at that moment I
Was thinking more of my own personal side
of the qtiestion, but really sometimes I
thielt I'm making a failure of both."
"tub you have surely had a very rapid
success 2"
"Don't think I am ungrateful for roy re-
ception," he said. I know I have made
what the worlcl calls a sucoess, but I'm nob
yet satisfied with myself ; and each time I
go cm the stage 1 feel that I may fail utterly.
An attist'a life is a life of eternal anxiety.
Ilub then to eountethalaime that we have
the moments of inspitation, and they are
)1701rcryo
tAnctI
hatillt." rterw
P°86ilewilas your wteidyou411tto
1
make the change 2" she said.
He wad airprased and yet relleVeci, that
tihe had gag:mood as mob,
"11 Was my lest promise to ouremotber,"
he said. But he Was cite silent as to the
sacrifice it had been to hirn to take. up tint
profession ; and Clare, who had net the
faintest suspieien of his love for Francesca.
could not, of course, realize whot he had
been through, She wondered Whether hie
plan hoci been a wise one., and recalled Ma,
Britton's description ot Madame Merlin°
and his conviction that in this ease-ohivakir
would not avail.
" I know you don't approve of the stage"
he said. Had I ehought yosr would
have seen things as I saw them 1% should
have written to you when eve first came tne
England, for I was horribly lonely, then."
As a matter of fact, you know," she
said, in her sweet, bright way, "1 am a,
very ignorant woman as to these matters.
I have never been inside a theatre, I have
never come across people conneeteel with the
stage, and I have no doubt that the evils
connected with theatrical life are painted
more darkly than they need be. Ihdeed,
should be very glad. if you could.convert me."
Curiously enough, however, the question
of theatrical life was to bo handled once
more that day, and not with Clare's mod-
eration.
St. Cyprian's was some way from the
Royal Hotel; but Carlo, having chance&
upon a very dreary service in the morning
at a neighboring church, was determined to
go further afield, and hearing from. Sardonia
that it was considered one of the finest
churches in England, resolved to seek I
ib out.
"It's at least a mile," said Sordoni r
"however, the choir is worth hearing, and
if you're going I don't mind going with.
you."
(To be eloannuen.
sintnring, "to the Glory or
Twenty years ago nearly Mr. Spurgeon
raised a nest of hornets about his ears by
some remarks he made in the pulpit in
defence of his habit of smoking. With usual.
outspoken boldness, Mr. Spurgeon not only
justified the practice, but declared that he
"smoked to the glory of God." The anti -
tobacconists and a scoffing world at lenge
raised such a hubbub over this rather un-
fortunate phrase that' the baited pastor of
the Tabernacle felt it expedient to reply to
their strictaires in some of the daily papers.
This he did in characteristic fashion.
HO demurred emphatically to the
idea that tobacco smoking WAS a
sin. "There is growing up in society,'
he wrote, "a Pharisaic system which adds
to the commands of God the precept of
men; to that system I will nos yield for an
hour. * " The expression smoking
to the glory of God' standing alone has an
ill sound, and I do not justify it ; but in
the sense in which I employed it I will
stand to it. No Christian should do any-
thing in which he cannot glorify God—and-
this may be done according to the Scripture
in eating and drinking and the commoa
actions of life. When I have found intense
pain relieved, a weary brsau soothed, and.
calm, refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar,
1 have felt arateful to God and have blessed.
°
'
His name • this is what I meant, and by no.
means did I use sacred words triflingly.'
•
Tho Origin of a Tine.
A correspondent writes to Modern So-
ciety "In your last issue you speak of the
Earl of Dysart. The story of the origin of
that title isibut very little known'and may
perhaps interest your readers. The first
Earl of Dysart and Baron Huntingtower
was Will Murray, son of the parish priest
of Dysart who held the post of whipping
boy to Dysart,
I., an office which doomed,
him to undergo all the corporal punishment
which the Prince deserved. Murray rose
to be page, gentleman of the bedchamber,
and the trusted confidant of his royal
master, whose secrets he was generally
believed to have betrayed to his enemies.
Charles, who was not aware of his real
character, created him Earl of Dysart and:
Baron Huntingtoiver. He left no sons, and
his elder daughter, who inherited his titles
and estates, married Sir Lionel Tollemache,
the representative of an ancient and wealthy
Suffolk family, to whom she bore a large
family of sons and daughters."
As a cure for cold in the head and
catarrh Nasal Balm is endorsed by premien
ent men everywhere. D. Derbyshire, Presi-
dent of the Ontario Creamery Association,
says : "Nasal Balm beats the world for
catarrh and cold in the head. In my own
case it effected relief from the first applica-
tion." Sold by dealers or sent by mail ors
receipt of price of price -50 cents and $1 is
bottle. Fulford & Co., Brockville, Ont.
Sante Old Thing.
Cumso—Old Soak had a terrible fall last
night and was taken home insensible.
Btunso—What did his poor wife say when
he was brought in?
Cumso—She simply said, "Chestnut."
Ready for It.
Jack—I'm awfully glad Lent has come;
I'm ready for it.
Ethel—Are you prepared to fast?
Jack—Oh, yes, I'm prepared; I've known
all winter that I was going too fast. "
A Sure Sign.
First Servant Girl—The missus has been.
giving it to the master this morning.
Second Servant Girl—How do you know?
First Servant Girl—He just kicked the
cat as he came out of her room.
The growth ot thb nail is more rapid in
children than adults, and slowest in the
aged. It goes on more rapidly in summer
than in winter, so thatthe naib that requires
132 days to renew itself in winter would dor
the sanie work in 116 days in the summer.
AM NOT A Pule,
gative Piled --
:the. They are e,..
Bg or.00ificinnalicitfirreEncilozilt„
.,' ,
sraooron, as they
R supply in a condensed
form the substancea
actually needed to en-
rich the Blood,' cuing,
all diseases coming
rom Pook and WAY, -
EY BE00_,D of frara ,
VITIATED nonone int
tbe Booms, and also ,
mvigorate and BUILIt
EP the BLOOD and
ISYSTElf, when broken
down by overwork,
inentalworty,disease.
excesses and andiscre,
tions. They have a
Renault, Aortolg Mt
he r.5uXtter, SYSTEM of
both men and Worisano
anseoring LOST VIOOM
and cotreeting ale
niameotenierise an&
durrarsearost.
EyEaygo a, Ell who finas his mental faea
iidainsti_ultlea dull �r failing, ent
hid' phyaidan
l poWers agging, should take theed
Piens. Whey will restore his lost eneraiee, liege
PohnsY;Isiotaesitthedeeln7 earn: neel:iietitieft, woodi ineintabi;
EVERY JalliR l'a',71,'tt:p_llitb6eiir
ontiiii aleknesa when no:looted.
till gs g?, FA ..;.11 nia take these Prt10.
Sa trOPyritiVithfiPblittlithar31116tai, asnvidllsterileng hthoit tilt
If
sS.o.ti4,
bus 0 theie reginets
it OUN 0 IIVONIER k°V itti°Viii '
rot wad kis, ail ,arnseetst Of WM be seat Upon
, „ .,
toeoft4 Of pride (Gee, per hol)a`by addiedeing.
lijgil toit,, vrtzteauvitri,402mtitilito,01'. 4