The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-27
nj now. dear Luigi must say adieu.
] am, and always shall he,
" our mos, atectionate friend,
CHAPTER ".

As may be supposed, Annunziata got no
answer 10 the rather ill-wolded and COLI
fused note she had sent TO Luigi. Perhaps
she had hardly expected to receive amy
and Vet she was disappointed when none
came. She was CONSCIOUS of having how
ever lnuoccntiy, and with whatever good
intentions-behaved i'll TO her old play
MAZE. She ought AS she now felt,
during that interview when he had
pleaded so hard for impossbilitics.
She ought not TO have allowed hun to sup
pose, for an instant, that she could ever he
brought to marry MN. But he had looked
so uuhuppy-and 50 handsome; and II had
been So much easier and pleasanter to
make "A compromise than TO quarrel. And
then she tried 10 stlile her qualms of con-
science by the reflect on that she had ex-
prcs.ly and emphatically stated that she
would give no promise. Still she could not
feel quite happy about Luigi; and there
were moments when she almost regretted
the last few years OF her life, and hall
doubted whether 1t might not have been
better for her ana for everybody If she
had lived and died obscure, married the
honest fisherman, aud never seen more OF
the world than that loYeliest portion OF II,
the Bay of Naples
But IL was now far too late in the day TO
indulge in such thoughts rs these. She
was going To marry the Comte de Cha2ny,
mlddle-aged young man or sporting pro-
cliVitles aud diminished fortune, who had
lived every year of the twenty that had
elapsed since his first introduction 10 Par
isian society. She was gong 10 marry tins
easy-going, rather broken-down gentle
man, who had fallen little i'll love with
her beautiful face, and very much In love
with her money bags, and with whom she,
for her part, was ilssuredly not III love ut
all
There were, however, circumstances
which made II almost necessary that An
nunzluta should marry somebody-and
why not this one, who seemed polite and
Kind hearted, as well rs anOtheri SignOr
Sassi was getting old, and the Signola be-
came more unwieldy every day. 1t WAS
no longer possible for tho worthy
couple TO rush from Paris 10 ST. Peters
burg, from st. Petersburg to Berlin, and
from Berlin to London, according TO the
erTatic movements OF the young primo
donna; yet Sass did not like the idea of
her travelling alone, or only with lady
companion. Marriage seemed the only
way out OF the difficulty; and so, when
the Comte de Chngny placed his title, his
debts, and his still handsome person NJ her
feet, the Vannlni accepted the whole OF
this valuable lot, only STIMULATING that she
should be allowed to remain on the stage.
NJ de Chagny III lde no objection whatever
10 this. To have insisted on his wite's re-
tlrement would have seemed 10 him like
killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
The wedding took place IN the spring, so
as to allow the newly married couple six
weeks or so 10 themselves between the
close or the Paris opera season and the
commencement of the London one; and
Annunzlnta, who mad of late been posses
sed by an intense longing TO revisit her
native place, had little diiiiculty III per-
suading her husband to take her. for those
few weeks, to Italy. NJ. de Chagny, always
ready to be agreeable TO Others so long rs
no Inconvenience 10 himself was cntalled
thereby, declared that no country could
DE more charming 10 him than that 10
which his wife belonged by birth; and
thus 1t was that, in the month Of April,
Annnnlata found herself once more III
Sorrento.
Her first visit was, OF course, paid to her
Aunt Maria, and almost her first inquiry
was about Luigi Rata. Old Marta shook
her mead and sighed. Luigi is gonel" she
said.
Gone! What-away from Sorrento ?"
Yes, cdrind, he has gone away from
Sorrento. | fear he has not turned ont
we'll that poor Luigi. But che UltOi1 IL is
not everybody that can make n fortune, az
you have done. Let US talk OF something
else"
~ can talk of nothing till you tell me
what has become Of Luigi. Did no go to
the coral nsheryr
:" Yes, yes-to the coral fishery, no doubt
| 10 Nv iAES tA4t waS IL w Aa4 lYsI u4oaaI,