, 1874-12-19

Thp Marouiso astod all partioulnra conforming
MY father 1nsls, MY last ltfo. a'A my pro1oets
se pearsa ta e aaeS eSoye ena as st too ol
Interested In my Aalvatlou. S,in, however, Hpoko
WaIfan admirably, and l took valuable lcsson
in pronnolRt'on. -.....-....
IND viewed gou,o autiquittna with lcr Hon at,sl
dined viii thon, At tho palace. Tho sIarqu'so
received Int few vlaitora, and they waro prlncl-
pnlIy clorgymoa. .-., a..
Ono uight, after lopgthencl conversation on
rtoat storsus. tho uar.y broke ar III u Thoughts
ful mood on tho powor Of tho OWL one. ! FRO;
ceetlul hunaaward nl1e, aud to reaoh tho Vim tel
lad not previously passed. It was quito Do
sersod. The eye only rested OH long sarucI! walla
and miserable houses, not ono of which WIS
liEhtcd mp. Tho clocks had just strnelt "a; tho
luz il, tbs mitillo Of lilo street, wI,vn lionrd
slight uoiso oyur my lnad u n! aud simultano-
o,.sly with tha cali q roso fell at my foot. Il
looked up, an In spito Of tho darkness, anw II
woman, treHAcd III white, ut a window. with hor
arm extended toward INC: Wo Frenohs,1a't a1o
vuly aell-eoncoited In foreign parts. aug OUT
fatlsers tic conquetors Of Europe, lasoindnlgod
us with traditions very llattosinK to our llatlnL'al
ot German, Spanish md Italian ladies', u the
moro sight OF Fra,chrnan. 70 DO br,of' at tnat
time was q Banusua Frouama,l, aud, besides,
did not tho rolia Bpcak plain ellougAF
- alhuAnt, Hala Ill uu Allac4 sot'et Hto"'M4 w
| tho yoso .syo,. laayo dropped your bouquet
| hut tic woman had already disappeared from
tho window, which had boon noisooasly csosod::
| I did M nuv other person w0ut haTo uonD. 1
dor tho window; found 1t, and waited for 1t to
| Upen Fiyo minutoB clnpHed amid profound ri.
leuco. / coughoi aud thon lightly acratc,od
| n tlo door; 6ut 1t did not opon. examined II
iatcl,; to my great surprise found pudloclt.
| Tile jealous awnin had not yet ros'trned. l
Thought. SO I picked up Htona and throw it
against tho window 1t STRUCK wooden shutter
Coniuund it! I i;ruu,o!cd, do tho Ron,ar ladies'
suppose t!lat men carry laddosg IN tirir pockots?
| | htvo nevor beon told Of tho oxiatonco Of such
| q custom.
waited fow 1nnutos longer, but in vain,
[ OnIy 1t Heenel to ,no outo orttwlco sllat Haw
Tho shutter move agAtly, as though aono QUO
lad tried 10 open 1t from inside, til order to SEQ
into tho atrcot. After quarter Of an hour my
| pntionce MAS oxhatistol; lit H. cigar. aud re-
out iaying studied carefully tito location Of the
house with tho paddock
The next morning. rencoting on this nlvon-
| surp, camo to tho following conclusion 4
young Ro,uaa lady, probably Of groat boauty,
tons il, tho city, LAS become enamorod Of my
| slight attractiona. II allo only cxproaaod i,or
admiration ly tho gift OF Il t!owor, it was mod
csty which dototrcd her from doing moro. or oso
I
tutor like tosimi's I'arlo'o. 1dccidcd, therefore,
upon watching tho house regularly.
With this determination Loft my dwelling,
after having giyuu my hnir brushing Which
| wus to rondur no irresistible. tlonncd my new
oyercoat and yellow gloves. III this attire, with
my lat placed Oh QUO side. and the fnded rose Ill
t my huttou-holo, directed my stopb toward tho
street, tho naEne OF which WAS still ignorant OF,
III finding it. A limo above madopua informed
mo TINT It was called II viccolo d. Aadana Lu'
ere1ia.
This name surprised mo. Immediately rocol'
lected the portrait by Leonardo, and tho storice
Of pYescutsMouss and devils wlie!. lad hcea .olJ
tho previous evening i'll tho MarguiHos SALON
l thou thought that Eolno lovc-adyoutures were
plnuuod by hcuvon. Why should not tho object
Ut my alteration DO named Lncrexia? Why shonld
Bho not resemble Tho Lucrszla in tho A!dobrand
gallery?
1t wan broad daylight. was within a foS
yards Of q charming person, and no s.n!hsel
though. was mingled with tho emotion ez
periencad.
stood before tho house. It bore tho nun
Der, 10. 4 bad augnry. Alas! its mir did no
Justify tho idea had formed Of 1t By night. i
was by 10 means palace, behold al, inploa
ure Of wills blackoned by age, aud covered wltl
of Aonlo neglected fruit-trocs. In u corner Q
tho inclosuro stood n house, one story higl,
. Will, two windows looking on tho street. aud botl
secured by old shutters with iron balH III TIL
i
etfacad coat or at,ns and closed. o. OH tue pre-
. yiouu night, by q largo paddock with Chain ut
taclcd to it. 6n thp door vas written in chalk
"1lis house for haln or to let"
could not bo Mistakcu. Ihe houses on thu
! hide OF tho sttoot wege too few to allow Of al,
error. There was my paddock, aud, better still
two 1880 leaves OH tho pavement. near the door
Indicating tho precise place where had rcctlrc
by pena tho declaration from my lady-lovo, ant
pfoyiiag TINT tho pavement III front of tho hous
r | WaB not often HWeEt,
!. Inquired Of somo poverty ty-strickcn neighl,or
whore the keeper OF this mysterious house EEod
s'Not here" wnA the rough ropy.
. It seemed as though my question dsploat q
thoeo to whom 1t was nddroHscd, and this excite
! my curiosity. After Going from door to door
; tnaly entered kind of obscure cellar, II wllic
was IN old woman. whom, might re,l<'ily !say
accused Of aoreery, tor allo had n black cat. an
was cooking, I know not what. in q kostlo
"You wish to SEQ tho Aouse Of Madamn lit
/. crezia?" SHE inquired. II have tho hoy to it.
We'll, thon, show It TO mo-,
= "WonM you lilo to hire :" 1ho uskod smi
i ''YcH. If it snits NO."
ut vii! not SUIT you. But come, will you CIV
mo naul i show it to ysu ?"
+ tsWillingy."
y On that Insurance sho hastily roso from III
: bench, took rusty kay which Mas hangin
:, against tho wnll, and conducted INC to No. ~.
"Why,"" I Inquired. "is this hquse called ii
a house Of Aialan1a Lucrozia?"
4 l l.
= "Why do they call you stranger? Isit Iii
n because yon are q Btraugor2"
II "Ih,s is very well; but who was this Malan
d Lucrezia? Was bho lsoman lady5"
"Whatl have you como to lso1no Without ha
n ing hoard Of alaaama Lucrox.a! When wo u
~ within I will reato to yptl her story. Horo
II anotilor trick Of tho aensonl cannot imaEi!
o what uils this key; it will not turn. Try Il
" yourself"
: The laot is tho paddock and tho key had nj
;. | met for q long time. However by means
" thrco oaths, mud considerable guashing Ut tcet
1 succeeded IN making tho key work; but in
a doing 1 toro my ytow gloves. aud hurt tho pal
n Of my hand. We entered mn obscure paasag
il way, which conducted to several rooms with Il
}, ceilings.
= Tl,o wals worc covered with cohwebs, bonoa
IT which it was hard to lotcot fow tracna Of gil
Ing. by tho odor of tlau,pnuss which .porsad
10 tho atmosphere it was evident that tho Apa,
" 1ucnta had not been Inhabited Tor long lin
II There was not single piece Of furniture. sot
IL scraps Of old leather hing from tho vail. Jud
lug from tho carving of some Of tue braoho