The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-21

THE PAINTERS WIFE.
!CONTINUED. |

further in the easy chair The Italian
twisted the ends of his moustache,
and watched her in grave silence.
"Oblige me by removing your
hands from before your face" he re-
sumed, after pause s'Thanks, that
is better Remember, am here to
kill, not to torture. When the pro-
per moment shall have come for
carrying out my purpose, one brief
pang will end everything"
He spoke in solemn, unimpassioned
accents, without any trace of excite
ment either In manner or words, and
almost as though he were the minister
Of some stern Fate, whose behests it
was his duty to carry ont, without
having the power to alter them, and
against which there WAS no possible
appeal.
''Do YOU remember when and
where we parted last?" he went on.
81 know that you do, for such oc-
casions are never forgotten by women.
For months before that day, you led
me on, little by little, till at last I was
foolish enough to think that I had
only to ask and to have. [ did ask
with what result you know as we'll as
L. You laughed at my love, and dis
missed me forever with a foolish
Jest. | went away, and strove to
forget you; and to certain extent I
succeeded; for at that time [ was Just
beginning to work out the details of
my grand scheme and all my time
and attention were needed to perfect
them. My grand scheme, he went
on, with sudden change of tone,
and an added brightness to his dark
eyes. cit would have revolution
lied the world, if only the worl
had been wise enough to receive it,
But like all great discoverers, am
century before the age
He began topace the room rapidly,
with knitted brows, and the fore
finger of one hand pressed to his
checks, while his lips moved inaudi-
bly,; but always with a covert eye on
Cyrllla, to see that she did not at
tempt to escape.
Strange, strange!" he murmured.
'sNo sooner did | begin to advocate
that great project, than L was SIT
down as madman; and because /
would not forswear my ideas, they
shut me up with mad people-me,
mer'
He burst into a fit Of laughter,
loud and shrill; and then drawing
from one of his pockets Il small box
full of those acidulated drops of
which children are so fond, he placed
two or three Of them on his tongue.
and swallowed them like so many
pills; and with that, he went and
resumed his seat close by Cyrilla'
1t was while L was living among
the N Il folk he went on, s'that
I made the acquaintance of nv
friend, the Mandarin, gentleman
twelve inches in height. Sometimes
ne would come into my room through
the key-hole, sometimes down the
chimney, or as often as not he would
mop IN at the open window, carrying
his head under his arm. He used
to perch himself on my table, and
sit and nod at me by the hour to-
gether. and favor me with lis advice
on every conceivable subject. Oh,
he was most learned mandarin.
1t was he who persuaded me to come
to this place, and kill you, and kill
your husband. And I have sworn
to do it! There was to be q grand
party tonight at the place whero l
have been residing for so many
months. dressed for it, Of course,
just to please the foolish creatures
you know what strange whims these
poor crazy wretches have sometimes
and in the confusion I escaped
See! [ bought this as I came along;
the handle is designed after the
antique, and pleased me hugely"
AS he spoke he drew from the
pocket of his dress-coat a slender
cased poignaca OF dull BLUSH steel,
with haft of bronze. Having ex-
tracted it from its case, he proceeded
to wipe it carefully, almost tenderly,
with his cambria handkerchief; while
Cyrilla, coiled mp in the easy chair,
watched Ills every movement with
bright, quick glancing eyes-the eyes
OF an animal brought to bay-that
nothing escaped.
The little clock on the chimney
piece chimed the quarter before mid
night.