The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-01-24

my visit as very great kindness; he
earnestly hoped that [ would soon re-
peat it; and he said, in the winning
Italian manner, that he found me
very simpatico," and [ did him
good.
Little faith as | had in my power to
dispel any nervous fancies by which
the young Venetian's mind might be
secretly troubled, | was too much in
terested in him not to avail myself most
gladly of the chance of improving
our acquaintance. It was not long,
therefore, before | repeated my visit.
I T was received with even more cordi-
atty than on the first occasion, and
speedily became the intimate friend of
Captain Angelo Bertani. Youth
forms its friendships rapidly, and
there was most engaging simplicity
in Bertani's character. As came to
know him better, [ was struck by the
singular sweetness and serenity of his
temper and manner. [ found him
uniformly placid and self-possessed.
A tinge of melancholy hung about
him. but no gloom. And how was it
possible, | asked myself, for patriotic
Venetian to be gay and cheerful, when
his country was cast beneath the heel
of the Austrian at the moment when
all hearts had been beating high with
the hope of her deliverance?
Bertram," said [ to him one eve
ming. after we had been sitting silent
for time, 9 don't you think it would
be good for, you to make a move
southwark? Surely, a winter in, Ma
pies would do you good. aT' ranl q
He smiled very slightly, and an
swered. 8 No"
mo? A taste of the sea breeze,
we'll warmed by that southern sun,
would set you up again"
He paused moment, looking full
in my face with his liquid bright eyes
and answered, slowly, Caromio, the
sea breeze and the southern sun
would not set me up again-because
nothing will ever set me up again"
There was something in the notion
of his being prey to morbid delu-
sion which shocked me inexpressibly,
shocked me the more, in that his
manner and conversation had always
impressed me with high opinion of
the limpid clearness, if not the
force, of his intellect l began to
try to prove to him the folly and
weakness IF giving way to fancy
that nothing would restore him. I
talked myself into quite an excited
state, and only paused at last, not
from lack of arguments, but because
my eloquence was chilled by his abso-
lutte silence and serenity. Bertani sat
motionless, with his handsome head
leaning back against the old tapestry
covered chair, and look of patient
sweetness on his face, which somehow
seemed so incompatible with the
weak dependency of which was ac-
cusing him, that l felt ashamed to
proceed. Forgive me, | said, sud-
denly " if l presume too far on our
brief acquaintance.
Forgive you?' he cried, and grasp
ed my hand warmly My friend, |
have nothing to forgive [ thank
you, on the contrary, with all my
heart. But do not mistake me when
[ say that nothing will ever set me up
again. | do not believe that [ shall
die Immediately. hope to live yet
few years whilst there is work for my
arm to do. When | say that nothing
will ever set me up again, l say the
simple truth, for all that. | shall
never be the man [ was,-never, new
err
He spoke quite placidly, and was
even smiling, but there was something
in the fixed look Of his eye which fill
ed me with an underlined and unac-
countable terror.
suppose he saw my face change,
for he rose and stood opposite to me
1--WE had been sitting side by side),
saying, mo, no, no, my good friend.
1t is not that. Be at ease. / am as
sane as you are Listen. That you
are good and true do not doubt, and
never have doubted since | first saw
your face among the crowd at the Bot
tegone. You have told me since that
you were similarly attracted by me.
Well, it was mutual attraction. If
you have the patience to hear me, [
will tell you what | have never yet
told any human being. Stay yet a
moment. What I have to say is
strange beyond all strangeness, per-
haps, that you can imagine, but to me
1T is deep and solemn reality; and to |
have it met with scoff, or even a cold |
expression of incredulity, would pain
me to the heart without shaking my
own conviction by one hairs breadth"
| assured Bertram that was pre-
pared to listen to what he would tell
me with all respect; and after
minute he began
lam quite alone in the world. AS
far as | know, there remains no crea-
ture bound to me by ties of relation
ship. | was an only child My ia
ther was u lawyer, but his practice
was very small, and before I was ten
Nears old Il had d1uindlnd o.ua.- LIZ