New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-21
THE CINQUE CENTO RING;
Or, Under the Diamond.


Or, Under the Diamond.
We had been watching glorious sunse
as we paced the deck, and now sat await
ing the lnoOnrise; for it was perfect night
and all we're in the mood to enjoy 1t, since
we were nearing home. A loud breeze blew
off the yet invisible shore, full of midsum
mer warmth and fragrance; party of Ger
man emigrants were singing sweetlv on the
lower deck, and the steamer glided through
the water with the smooth, swift motion sc
full Of delightsOme excitement.
Helena and l sat apart from the rest OF
our party, as did many another young
couple, sadly bringing to close happy
companionship of the most prosperous voy
age, or sweetly planning to set forth upon
a longer one together We had been talk.
silence fell upon us as we watched the
great, round moon wheel up from the hOr-
lions edge.
At least Helena watched the sky, and l
watched her longing. but not daring to ut
ter the words that had burned on my lips
ever since we sailed. So beautiful, SO charm
ing, yet 80 caprlcious and inscrutable was
she that / had been by turns captivated,
bewildered and repealed.
But now, when separation was so near. l
felt that must know my fate, and eagerly
scrutinized that lovely face to see if her
mood was as prOpitiOus as the hour.
She was wrapped in blue cloak, the
hood drawn over her head, but bright
lock Of hair had escaped and was floating
on the wind that gave such deep bloom
to her cheeks. She had been smiling but
now her lips were set with an expression Of
mingled pain and resolution, and in her
eyes there was tragic look had learned
to dread. Her hands lay loosely folded in
her lap, and as my glance wandered with
tender admiration from the half hidden
face to those eOft hands, saw that one
was restlessly plucking at the single ring
the other wore.
ined with the interest lover feels in every
thing pertaining to his mistress. 1t was
not beautiful, nor precious yet too peculiar
to pass unObserved even by the most care
less eye. An oval black stone in an antique
setting of dull red gold, with three old
fashioned diamonds in line down the mid
die. So long was the oval that it reached
to the first joint Of the delicate finger and
enhanced the white symmetry of the hand
some hand. l had once accused Helena of
wearing it for that purpose, and begged
her to put OFT the ugly thing, for had
taken dislike to it. But she gave me one
OF her strange looks, and said briefly, Il
can not take it off," and turned from me
with such curious mixture of melancholy,
pain and humility in her face that it haunt
ed me long afterward.
was staring at it intently and wishing
with all my heart that she would let me re-
place the uncanny ornament with the cost
lier ring which had lain hidden in my
pocket all the voyage, when she suddenly
turned and saw what l was doing. She
gave me n quick. keen look, and as l
opened my lips to speak, impetuously she
lifted her hand with warning gesture,
and said rapidly:
'No; let me speak first. l have been
trying to find courage to do it ever since
we sailed, and tonight it must be done,
even If YOU think me mad or bad when you
know ALL"
II never can do that, Helena. Nothing
you may say can change my love- be-
gan, as ardently caught her hand. But
she drew it hastily away, and said with a
SILVER as she pointed to the ring.
mot that one! Wait little, and you
will fear to touch it,
For Gods sake, Helena, what do you
mean! What awful secret have you to
tell :" l cried, startled at her words.
THE story Of this evil ring
Then liking me with her large, bright eye,
as the ancient mariner fixed the wedding |
guest, she went on in a low, rapid tone |
that filled me with curious interest as l |
listened.
AAlCC iuOutuS UcbOIe yOu JUliltu us dL /
ArbanO we were in Venice with some |
friends, and had lively times hunting for |
cinque centO rings. But the new fashion |
for antique jewelry had caused dearth of |
the genuine article, and we would have no |
So day after day we glided |
about in gondolas from one collection of |
antiquities to another, but all in vain. The
girls gave up in despair, and contented
with Venitian glass, roco lock.
apH MOnra'c hoo 4 v,p - |
alone still hoped and searched, for have
"a passion for such things, and had been
reading up that period, especially the his
tory of the BOrgia family. Those splendid
sinners had strange interest for me; the |
wicked old Pope, with his poisonous dinner
parties, was very fascinating to me. l fell
in love with handsome Caesar, and had
rather have seen the fair Lucretia than
Dantes Beatrice or Petrarch's Laura.
There's depravity for you!' and Helena
aughed with half melancholy, half mock
ng look in her eye.
You are romantic, and at your age it is
o be expected. l once had craze for the
roman emperors, and a very bad lot l
ound them. l remember how l used to
20 and study the ugly busts of Nero and
company in the Uffzzi at Florence, and
an sympathize; SO don't be afraid to own |
lp about your Borgias."
AN, you were never haunted by those
wicked Romans. You never initiated them,
r possessed anything that belonged to |
hem. have done all these things with
ny Borgias, as you shall hear
These condolences are charming: con.
inue. l beg. How did it all hegin!' | |
sked, drawing nearer and watching her |
hangetul face with lovers earnestness.
with this ring, and it began badly, for /
stole it,
"My faith. but this becomes exciting.
Law ask from whom you stole it,"
I'VE were poking about one day in a dirty
tile shop in Venice, and while papa was
liking of old seals with the mouldy Jew &
tho kept the shop, l was turning over a
abinet of antique jewelry. In one of the
"a wers l found small ebony and silver L
asket that took my fancy. l bought it for a
n absurdly high price, for one leg was l
one, the ebony full of dust, and the silver a
COUNTING much furnished. l put it away
it'll my other spells, and forgot it till we t
emit to Florence" n
She stopped suddenly and glanced over u
n shoulder into the misty ocean. as if she
W some phantom rising thence. p
"And them said, impatiently.
"Now comes the weird part, which you Il
ont believe. Ole day, in an idle hour,
nused myself by trying to burnish up the d
tie casket. But it would not brighten, G
d, with an impatient gesture, threw it 1
wn; it slipped from the table to the mar
floor and broke. As swept up the bits | p
,ra lay a tArnishad ring anon o them evil L cl