The Republican journal., 1871-08-17
Borrowing from the Fiend.

Borrowing from the Fiend.
In q small inn that nestled under tn
shadow of Milan's proud ducal palace sa
Il halt score or more Of soldiers drinkin
merrily. The soldiers all belonged t,
the Dukes body -guard-thc Foreigl
Legion, rs it was called by the Milanes,
"a battalion of veteran soldiers, compos
ed of men OF all nations, tried and hard,
warriors. Duke Alphonse de Visconti
elected at first by the people to rule owe
Milan as its Duke, quietly, under pretens,
protecting the city from foreign enemies
enlisted all the soldiers of fortune whose
steel gold could purchase i'm his service
and when the time expired tor which h,
had been elected, by the aid of his hire
ling soldiers, he proclaimed himself Duke
over Milan forever. The citizens rose il
revolt, and struck valiantly for thei
rights against the traitor who had betray
ed the trust reposed in him.
The struggle was brief but severe
The Foreign Legion made short work OF
the city bands, and Milan soon lay pros
trate beneath the foot of the tvrant Al
the time that our story opens the Viscont
had rci@ned supreme over Milan for :
year. The Milancse grumbled, but 'lwa,
in whispers. One fate alone, the head
mans aX. awaited those who dared to
test the power Of the usurper. Apart
from the revclers sat 4 young and stall
wart soldier. He Joined not with the rest
in wild carnival, and the look upon his
| face was stern and high. Two of the
wild rcvelcrs at the table noticed the
| silent Captain, seated by the huge fire
place, gazing dreamily into the blazing
| mass.
''Glctano is in dream-land as usual, '
| said the elder OF the two, a hurly English
man, known as Talbot.
YES. he is seldom Otherwise" replied
his companion, :; dashing French gallant,
called Tetc de Noir.
"What can be the cause of this settled
melancholy ?" Talbot asked.
by my faith comrade, it would take
Satan himself to tell You ~ exclaimed the
! Frenchman, coughing.
but was he always thus ?"
ooh, no; there was time when a
wilder gallant than this same silent
| soldier never drew sword or kissed the
lips Of a fair woman. Geatano and my
self served in Flanders together under
the Duke of Alva. 1Ic is NIlanese BY
| birth'
''Can it he the iron rule Of the N'isconti
| pressing so heavy upon his native city
that atlicts him ~
"No; were that SO the Foreign Legion
would soon lose its best captain. Gaetano
serves under no banner but that of his
own free will. He has the making of n
great captain in hlm. / lv,irllbcl III
{ Il ~ Al "
against William Of Orange, the Silent
Prince, who led a thousand men. The
great Duke of Alva-a better soldier
never lived-publicly complimcnted him
in presence of the whole army
at seems Il pity that such u heavy
| gloom should hang upon his soul" said
the Englishman mnsingly.
The two then turned their attention to
| the revelers.
| Gaetano, sitting by the fire, seemed like
Il man in a waking dream. He was
reused from his abstraction by a hand
laid upon his shoulder Looking up he
beheld Il dark-visagcd stranger. wrapped
in 4 sable cloak and wearing 4 conical
hat, also black, from the side of which
rose a single slender red feather. The
face of the man was strangc-high cheek
bones, 4 nose curved like the eagles
beak, and eyes that shone like GOALS of
fire. A strange shuddcr came over the
! stalwart form of the young soldier rs he
looked upon the face of the stranger
''Can | have Il word with you, Captain
Gaetano" said the cloaked man, in a
peculiar metallic voice, that grated harsh
ly on the soldiers ear
81 am ut Vnnr OlnoS1ln ~ thn Iroun r
man replied.
The stranger sat down on the rude
bench by the side Of the soldier.
'You are called Gaetano, and your
companions add the words 'The Silent.
Do you wish 4 cure for your melancholy"'
and the stranger looked searchingly in the
face OF the young man.
"My cure is impossible" the soldier
replied, dl yly.
young soldier you do not know my
power. | know the secret that clouds
your brow. Listen. Over Milan rules
the Duke Alphonse, the head of the
naughty house of Visconti, Il race in
whose veins traitors blood has crept ever
since the flood The Viscontis are ty-
rants born, false and merciless. Like
produces like; grapes grow not from
thorns; yet from the false Nisconti rose
the gentle Carmola, the taircst flower
that ever breathed Italian air, has sprung .
AT the mention of the name of tho
| Dukes daughter, the acknowledged belle
of Milan, the soldier started, and the hot
blood flushed his manly face. The evil
eyes of the stranger noted all.
''Foolish boy, you betray your passion
in your face at the bare mention of tn,
name of the woman who m you have dar-
ed to love, although she is the daughter
of Duke and you are but Il hirelins
soldier. Now, mark my word; | car
give Carnola to you'
''You."
''Yes.n
How? Who are you ?"
II anl---" and the stranger pointct
mysteriously downward.
'sThc Evil One 7" murmured the soldier
in terror.
"Hush; no names - cri ed the cloake,
man, in warning. ''Look at this ducat y
and he drew the piece of money from his
pocket. at is charmed one, and brings
luck to its possessor. I'll give the duca
to thee; the ducat will give thee rank
power, and the woman you love"
"But the price ?''
I'm ten years your soul is mne.'
"Never = | will not consent" cried th
soldier in horror.
patience, and listen,'' cried tn
stranger, quietly. ''There is way t.
escape the penalty. You are at liberty t.
sell the duplicate to another at any tim'
before the expiration of the ten years, bu
it must be sold at a less price than it
value as simple ducat. You canno
lose it, but you can sell it, although yol
are obliged to tell the purchaser the con
ditions."
'sBut no one will buy it, knowing tn
conditions
eyes, for he has the samc privilege t.
sell, but it must be at less sum than h
gave, so that in the end, when it is sol'
for the lowest coin know, the owne
visits me in my palace below"
''But if the possessor of the ducat b
killed ?"
'sHe comes to me straight" !" and tn
stranger leered into the lace of the soldier