Lucknow Sentinel, 1892-04-01, Page 20
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01.
04-4
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A BARITONE'S DEVOTION;
OR A TALE OF SUNNY ITALY.
Now, Comerio had his back to the door,
leut-hesouldaeesall-thatairas• _passing in• the
minor, and he was quick to seize the opPor-
tunity of wounding his foe.
"Mies Britton, the beautiful English
girl !" he exciaimed. "Yee, yea; I saw her
only the other day. She's quite the rage
knit now at Naples."
Bardeen glanced from the cold, clever,
cruel face of Comeiro to the face of his
friend. The words evidently stung Carlo.
He paused, for a minuts with his hand on
the door, but quickly regaining a comp,osure
that under the circumstances N$118 masterly
he came forward, greeted Comerio hit;
ceremonious Italian way, and contrived to
`keep the conversation pretty much in his
own hands, throughout the call. Sardoni,
in his careless, easy fashion, helped him
not a kttle by making re running fire of
jests an bad puns, while all the time
he was atudying 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
through the thin veneer of ordinary polite-
ness; and the Knight-errant himself, with
his manly, alert looking face, and his envia-
ble wayof saying the right thing at the
eight nijiule.
Certamly, Comerio gained little that
afternoon ,• but his pursuit had unsettled
Anita, 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 wheu his hopes had so
nearly been defeated.
It was some relief to get away from Lon-
don fordn the provinces he felt that the
sevc:rd ot Damocles was not so immediately
above them. In the meantime, however,
his cough grew worse, and he began to look
very delicate—at least, 'fio 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,
Sardoni, Nita and two or three others, were
grouped aboutthe fire. Nita, in her elder -
sisterly fashion, began to upbraid him.
"You sang execrably, Carlo !" she said,
thrusting ,her little daintily -shod foot nearer
the blaze and looking far from pleasant as
she lifted bright, coldoeyes to his. "You
put meont altogether in that last scene.
It's intolerable !"
"lam sorry I put you 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 !' said Gomez. "See,
Donati; there's a Critique on your Rigo-
letto' in the evening paper. •
And he handed it to him .with a sarcastic
little bow.
Too bad! too bad 1" exclaimed some of
the others; hilt 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 tookathe paper without a word, and
read the notice through, knowing quite well
that Gomez would not have drawn his at-
tention to it had the criticism been favor-
able. It was not his way to pretend to be
indifferent to the press; hedid not care for
'the praise or blame or suggestion, and never
tried to disguise his feeling, though nothing
would have induced him to win •fevorable
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'd -protection ; so that he fullyrecog-
nized the fact so well 'pat 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
azted badly last night and tiang worse.
They have revery reason to pitch into me."
"The fact is, you're not fit to sing at all,"
said Gomez, affecting a tone of friendly
adrice. "You are ill, and need a long
rest."
• "No, no," said Carlo, quickly; "itis
nothing but this awful climate. I shall, be
all right when it gets warmer. I mean to
go in for an ammoniaphone, 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•
phecy 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 illy looking on without taking
art in the talk, could see.
" Ladies and gentlemen for the last act !"
announced the call boy; and the little
group round the fire dispersed.
Carlo, whose part in the opera was over,
left 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
gone off so much, you would have been glad
enough if Merlino chooses to end your' en-
gagement in the summer. For my part, I
wish he would !"
The tone of bitter dislike in which he
spoke was more than he could bear. He
Owned away, and shut himself in his dress-
ing -room, where presently Sardoni found
him with his arms on the mantel -piece, his
face hidden, and his whole frame shaken
with sobs.
" Why, Val !" exclaimed his friend; "has
that brute of a Spaniard vexed you so
much ?"
" Go, go !" he exclahned vehemently in
Italian. " You can't understand !''
"I'll be hanged if I go !" said Mardoni,
laving a hand on his shoulder. " Bless your
innocence! do you think rio Englishman has
ever shed tears? I know what it was ; jt+
was not GOinez —it was something Madame
Merlin() said to you just now."
Carlo raised his head, thrust both hands
through his hair, and, still keeping his face
hidden, said in a voice which struggled in
vain to steady itself:
"She hopes it will be as he said. She
wishes me to go. It is all of no use; I can
do nothing for her—nothing
"Now, look here I" said Sardoni; "it's
not a bit of good for you to try to think
rationally to -night • You are bothered by
that critique, and by our had reception
just now, and by that brute Gomez—and by
e. hundred other things, likely enough.
You just shelve it all until to -morrow; and
come and have some oysters with me, and
then go to bed like a Christian."
Carlo made an effort to recover himself,
and before tong, was walking home arm -in -
arm with Sardoni, his hat pulled over his
eyes.
"The fact is, old fellow, you're a long bit
too sensitive for knocking about with men
of the calibre of Gomez and Comerio," said
Sardoni. However, you would never act as
you do if you weren't sensitive, so it cuts
both ways."
CHAPTER XXII.
Tasman,.
Mr. George Britton was a man who sel-
dom ate the bread of idleness, and since his
hurried visit to Naples in the early summer
his holidays had been few and far between.
A oruiee of a few days in the Pilgrim before
the close of the yachting season had been
all he could snatch from his busy life, for he
was one of those men who are always 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 suchhosts of people that it
was often all he could do to remember the
names of those he had helped, te say
nt4thing of their faces. He had not, how-
ever, altogether forgotten Carlo Donati;
more than once he had thought of his pretty
niece's ill-fated love -story, but, having 'pro-.
raised 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 hiin
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, andfollowing the
direction of his eyes, exclaimed :
" Oh ! you are noticing those Italians. I
thought they all went off yesterday ;there
was quite a crowd of them last night. It's
an operatic company; that's the impresario,
that sullen -faced man with a black beard;
and that's his wife, the prima donna of the
party. I suppose the rank and file went
off yesterday and left a few of the swells
behind." e
" 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, fcireigners 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 pp 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 !" exclaimed Mr. Britton
clutching his friend's arm. " Look !
child on the line V)
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
secoads, and yet there seemed time to take
in all the, details—the horror of the spec-
tators, The utter helplessness of the child
himself, who stood terrified and bewildered,
hearing the Flouts, seeing the train ap-
proaching, 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 intirne, leaped down on
to the railroad, and ran like the wind to the
rescue of the ehild. 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 seemed 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 shad 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, and now
that the horror of the moment was over,
found time to wonder at the cowardiee of
the spectators. There were several men on
the platform, some of them far nearer than
he had been at the tinie the alarm had been
given ; but no one had rushed instantly to
the rescue except himself and the yowls
Italian who had intercepted him.
" The dear little fellow," said Merlino,
kissing his son, with tears in his eyes. " He
is not hurt? You are sure he is not hurt?"
" Not a bit, only frightened. How in
the world did he get down there ?"
" Ile owes his life to you sir," said the
station master ; " I never saw a closer
shave !"
" It 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 bratuly-and-soda. He
turned in the most practical and matter-of-
fact way to choose a earriaga.
se
"You get in, Nita," he said, opening the
door, "and 1'11 give you Gigi on your le,p."
Mr. Britton, puzzled a,t the comparative
indifference of the mother, took possession
of a corner seat in the Beane carriage, and
felt relieved to see that as she took the child
she beat down and covered his faze with
kisses. In truth, poor Nita in that moment
of horror had -for the -first time realized what
the loss of her child would be to her; the
agonyof seeing him in danger, without being
able to atir a finger to savehim, had touched
into life the motherly love which till now
had lain 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. Garlo's face
lighted up as he saw how closely she held
the little fellow, and both he and Merlino
were so much taken up with the child that
it was not till just the last minute that they
thought of the luggage.
" Did you see it in, Gomez ?" said Carlo,
turning to the Spaniard, who had ensconced
himself comfortably in the corner opposite
Mr. Britton and beside Mademoiselle de
Caisne.
' "L? No ; I imagined you had given
directions," replied Gomez, with the most
irritating air of calm dignity.
Carlo sprang up and put his head out of
the window.
"It is gone," he said ; " it must be all
right."
"Ah, but my bag !" exclaimed Nita.
" You really 'night think of things for me
I must have left it on one of the benches.);
The train was on the point of startiug.
Carlo flung open the door and rushed in
search of the lost property, while Merlino,
fuming with impatience and anxiety,
hurried across the carriage to look from the
window.
"Santo diavolo we are moving !" he
exclaimed. "What induced yeu 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 traiu steamed
on relent&ssly, and a porter closed the door
with an authoritative bang, regarding neither
the nerves nor the anxieties of the travelers.
Just at this minute, however, the train
stopped at a suburban station, and, to the
relief and astonishment of all, Carlo sud-
denly appeared at the door.
" Where on earth did you come from ? "
exclaimed Merlino.
"The guard's van," said Carlo, taking
the vacant place beside Mr. Britton, and
evidently perceiving that the atmosphere
was disturbed. "1 am afraid I gave you
all a fright, but there was no chance of get-
ting back to you, only just time 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
Merlino 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
Nita's coaxing and Merlino's' threatening.
" See, Gagi, 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 !"
• When he had recounted this catalogue of
woes, his tears rolled down faster than
ever.
".You 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 will get 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. "e
"1 don't want Lionbruno,""said Gigi.
"Well, then, the Fair Fiorito,' or the
Fairy Orlanda,' or shall it beabout Buchet-
tino and the Ogre?
"1 think I'd like about Giucca and eat,
my clothes, eat ! " said Gigi.
• "Very well," said 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 Glucca'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 intrited 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 m-
vited," taking care to make a good dinner
forhimself 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 Weepy.
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 sie8ta, while
Mr. Britton was glad to have an oppor-
tunity of studying his features 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 Valentine, as he
fancied his name to be, had a look of
strengh abut him which Donati had lacked.
" Is this Ashborough ?" asked 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's.
" Yes ; this is Ashborough, madaan."
Could this traveller be the captain's
brother—the " Uncle George "—whoee 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 c
this Englishman's voice. It was hardly
likely that Mr, Britton should happen to 0
get into the same carriage with them. Be-
sides, he had never connected him with the I
neighborhood of Ashborough; ho fancied a
Marlebank was in another county. And t
even if this should indeed be Francesca's p
uncle, would it be very desirable to intro-
duce himself under the circumstances
While he wondered what to do, the train t
had steamed into the station, and his b
doubts were solved and his opportunity lost f
at the same moment. Some one on the r
platform recognized the gray•bearded Flog- i
lishman,oand threw open the carriage door, a
" Ha, Britton ! are you here? I'm jost t
off to Queensbury, and will take your vacant t
place."
" flow are you ?" said the Englishman, s
with a hearty gripe of the hand. " Any of t
my people here, do you know ?"
"The carriage wasn't up just now; hin
dered, very likely ; the, town is in a
awful confusion—the races on Monday, yo
know."
Carlo heard no more. He had to carr
Gigi to the nearest fly, and the flies seeme
scarce and mostly engaged. When a
lengthhe had -secured one; andmade ove
Gigi to his mother, he had to rush off an
see to the luggage, and there was no time t
think any more of his own plans.
14 the meantime, however, Mr. Britto
had not lost sight of him. He felt strangel
curious as to Vie movements of thes
operatic people, and being obliged to wai
till his own carriage came up, he strolled t
and fro, glancing now out of the station a
the driving rain and the chilly March night
now at his late companions. As usual, i
appeared that "Signor Valentino" did th
work, the others all crowded into the on
available fly, and sat impatiently waitin
• while he hunted up truant trunks an
portmanteaus.
" What an age you have been I" was the
greeting he received. "You can't get i
here ! Perhaps there'll be another fly by
this time. Do you think the man can take
all the luggage outside ?''
"He'll ha vb to," was the reply. "There'
nothing else to be had nor any chance o
getting anything. It seems it is the race
week."
"Can't you change places with him
Signor Gomez ?" said Nita, for once in her
life prompted to think for her brother.
"His cough is so bad he oughtn't to be out
on such a night.r• .
Gomez made a dignified excuse, and 'sug
gested that if they delayed any longer it
would be impossible to dine before the
°peep,.
"And by thebye, Val, my 'dear fellow,
just stop in • passing at the theatre," ex-
claimed Merlino ; "you'll notice it on your
way to the hotel, and might just see that
all is right there."
"Very well. Is my uMbrella handy ?"
They gave it to him and drove off, while
Carlo began to wrap up his throat in a huge
mufilsr, looking distastefully enough at the
dark, muddy street, and the torrents of rain.
He was just about to set off on his wet
walk when, on turning to:Lusk the nearest
way to the hotel, he suddenly confronted
Mr. 'Mr. Britton.
"1 am expecting my carriage every
inhiute,".said the Englishman in his kindly
voice, which, but for the allsence of the
slight tone of patronage, would have been
exactly like Captain Britton's. "1 hope
you'll allow'me to drive you to your hotel."
• "Von are most kind,, ' said Carlo. "1
should indeed be very grateful ; but perhaps
I ought to. tell you--"
He was interrupted. Mr. Britton glanc-
ing round to see if the carriage had`come,
chanced to notice a huge advertisement of
Signor Merlino's OperatieCompany, and his
eye was i.nstantly caught by .a name in large
block letters—SIGNOR CARLO DONATL
!‘ must beg a thoueand pardons, Signer
Donati, for not recognizing you before !"
he exclaimed, shaking him heartily by the
hand. "1 thought I knew your face en
the Mardentoyvn 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 Carlo, his
color rising a little. " hive you have
good .accounts from Casa Bella, ?"
He tried to subdue the eagerness of his
tone, but it was some time since he had
heard from Enrico, and the thought of hear-
ing' of Francesca inio much more direct a
.way made every pulsein him beat fever-
ery. good, indeed," said Mr. Britton.
"They all seem well. Francesca is coming
to stay with us in the seminer. 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 at your
disposal. . Shall we call first at the theatre,
and then shall drop you at your hotel?
or are you, too, in a hurry to get your
dinner ?"
He had kindly made a' rather lengthy
speech, because he saw how much the Ital-
lian was moved brills 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 lust a nick-
name; it misled ,me altogether," he said.
" But for that I think I Should lave spoken
to you, and asked, at env rate, whether you
were related to Signor fionati; (he Neapoli-
tan Ocivosate."
Carlo smiled. Not for many months had
he had such a pleasure as that friendly talk
with Francesca's uncle.
" it is the name of what is suppruied to
be my best part--Valenthio in Feu,' he
explained.•
" I see. Well, I intist manage to hear
you in it. It is twenty years and more
aince I heard an opera."
• ''Then you have neirer heard ° Faust !' "
exclaimed Carlo'almost incredulously.
" S'Ve are to give it to -night ; may I really
have the pleasure of getting 3 ou an order 1"
You are very good ; I should like noth-
ing better," said Mr. Britton, fully under-
standing that since his ladylove couli 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 a thought had flashed
through the young man's'mind, and liked
him the better fer 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 !" he ex- ra
laimed, quite agreeing with the prima "
onna that Donati had no business to be
At bn such a night.
" Oh, it is only chronic !" said Carlo, I i
ightly, as if that made it an affair of no e
ccount. " Is this the theatre ! Will you
hen come in with me, and choose „lour w
lace for tonight ?"
The ticket chosen, Carlo and Mr. Britton a
o.de their way through long and not par-
imilarly clean passages to the region • Y
°hind the scenes. Here all seemed con-
usion ; carpenters and scene -shifters hur-
led to and fro ; there Was a babel of talk- I
ng, shouting, hammering ; and Carlo'e
rrival was eVidently hailed as a relief 1),y
he man in authority, who came quickly up p
o him to explain some difficulty that had a
risen, and to ask whether Merlin° would h
oon he at the theatre. Britton, mean• 50
ime, was learning that scenery and stage a
illueions were disenchanting enough when
- nearly viewed, and in his own mind was
n wondering whether anything could possibly
u teach him to walk respectably on the
sloping stage. It was evident that Carlo
y was a practical man, for his suggestions
d were received as orders'and something
t like method begen to be tra,ceable in what
✓ had at -first seemed the wildest chem.
d "1 enust not keep you waiting any
o longer," he said, after a few minutes,
coming up to Mr. Britton; " thank you
n for all your kindness. They seem to have
y got behindhand here, and I must stay and
e help them a little."
t "Bub as to blankets, sir, they're every
o blessed one of them in use," she added.
t "Never mind, one of mine =doubled will
, do for him," said Carlo, ruthlessly stripping
t- the truckle -bed. "Now, Gigi, unlock the
e trunk for me, and we'll just turn the things ,
e out on tile floor and make rosin) for you."
Gigi thought this fine fun; and what will_
d pillows and blanket from the truckle -bed,
and clean sheets which tile chamber -maid
brought hot from the fire, the improvised
n
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
8
him. .
f "1 do love you so," said Gigi, clinging -to
hip with all his might. And Carlo hurried
back to the theatre with the words ringing
,1 in his ears, and the feeling of the little
'child's arms still about his neck.
CHAPTER XXIII.
(15ARI.1."
. • The school -room at Merlebank was one of
those comfortablernoudescript sort of rooms
which have a charm for most people •, it was
a room where you did not feel bound 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 Brussels carpet was comfortably
shabby, its curtains were old-fashioned
and faded, its Walls were crowded with
frameless oll.paintings, which the girls had
brought home from the school of art, and the
bgxilss in its crowded bookshelves had' evi-
dently seen good serviee. Miss Claremont
loved the room, and it was in a great
measure her presence which helped to make
it one of the pleasantest retreats in the
house. In lesson hours she knew well
enough how to make any unwary visitor
feel himself de trop, but at ell other times,
on half -holidays, or 011 Sundays, or in the
long evenings, she liked nothing better than
to sit and talk to any one who chose to seek
her out. •
Late on that March evening Mr. Britton,
returning from Ashborough, made all speed
toward the school-room'and, as he had.
hoped, found Clare still sitting over the fire
reading.
"The children have all gone to bed,"
she explained.; " Kate waited till half -past
10, but she was tired with her choir prprac-
tice." am
glad to find you up," said Mr.
Britton, "for I have a message to you from
an old friend of years, who, to my .great
• astonishment, proves to be in England."
"Not Francesca !" exclaimed Clare.
"Her next door neighbor, young Donati;
lie sends you hie kind regards and is yery
anxious to see you."
• " Well, that is really a delightful sur-
prise," said Clare. " I should like so much
to meet him again, for as a boy he interested
me a.good deed. What .can have brought
him to England ?"
"'He has developed a voice, and has
turned into an operatic singer. That quite
explains my brother's determination to have
less' to do with him, for you know the cap-
tain disapproves 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 reason
for his sudden change of profession. • It
seems he has a sister ; did you know her ?"
"'She was being educated in a convent
when I Was in Italy, but I saw her once or
twice. Peer girl ! she made some very
• foolish marriage, I believe, not long after
we came to England. I never heard the
rights of the story, but I know he eloped
with some one."
"Oh, that was it.! Well, she seems to
have paid dearly for her folly; poor thing!
for her husband is a brute; a more sullen,
illAempered fellow I never saw. He is the
impresario of this traveling company which
Donati has joined ; the sister, Madame
Merlino, is the prima donna. Let me -see,,
what did he callsher ? Nita, I think." -
" That was her name. I remember er
as a demure little girl, shocked at F
cesca's freedom."
" Well, she seems to be one of those
pretty, helpless, unhappy wives Who stand
in such grave need of a pretector. Now
when I Was at Naples I heard nothing at all
shout this sister, but on the Sunday Donati
was introd-aced to me • by my brother.
as one of the most promising young
advocates at the . Neapolitan , bar,
*.,
and his ' praises sung to
me in' a way which I own rather prejudiced
me against him. I couldn't help liking the
fellow when I saw him, however ; and 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 an end. He had decided
on some course of action which the captain
disapproved, and said you would also
disapprove. However, the matter was a
private affair of Donati's, and he bound me
over to silence, telling me, however, that I
should E10011 see all for myself, cl
should then agree with him. • I
ot
quite on a wrong tack, and thought i as
some political difference, but. surely this is
the true explanation. I appeal to you
now, Miss Claremont, as a reader of
omances, given a pretty actress, with a
rute of a husband, and doubtless some not
too reputable admirers is it not conceivable
hat circumstances might arise which shou'd
nduce her father or her brother to sacrifice •
verytlsing in order to save her ?"
" Quite, ' said Clare ; "and Carlo Donati
ould be the very man to throw himself
nto the breach in that way ; there was
omething chivalrous aboet him, something
no doesn't often meet with nowadays. Do
ou remember Mrs. Browning's lines :
The world's male chivalry 11 fLf4 peri lied out,
But, women are knights-errant to the last.
always thought' she wouldn't have written
hat it she had known Carlo.",
" I think there is no' doubt that he is
laying the part of knight-errant now,"
aid .N1r. Britton, musingly, " ad that he
as a hard time of it. I doubt if he will
icceed, though. The sister seemed to mo
vi4.y hhrtllo)y, heartless little warnaln., Haas