New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-04

sheltered and was used as sallon Ior lhc IuiIi
Farmhouse where Don Bastiano the owner OF the
land and part proprietor OF the boats, had lyeu
but he midde-aged man, had now been aead
some three months, leaving buXom young widow
i'm p0ssessCn. The strand was between hassa
and Sorrento, and was called as we'll as the farm
lands above, La Marnella; but It's most fortunate
pecullarity for me- under my present c!rcln tances
was that il contained rude shelter for The funny
boats aud fishing apparatus natural cave nav
ing been adapted to the purpose, ana secuIeu WIN
Hoping to spend the night more comforablyln
this refuge than on the open beach, stulhoieu
over the sand and single BY the hght Of Sues
sion of lucifer matches, ami found no ulincuiS IN
entering the grOto the rusty 1asIchlhes VI ti!o
door Welded to a vigorous push. lhIee or lo,'l
boats large and small. were drawn up "iVn, a.
the fishing season had not yet begun and IN the
fartheSt recess the great nets lay folded IehBt o
length, a sprlngy pile OF hemp aloIulIg 49, ,
toerable substitute for a mattress On lL's m;i'
clad TO fling myself and dragging piece OF San
cloth over me by way OF c0Nerlct hlaue NY s1i 90
comfortable as the circumstances WOuiu anih't va.
A day in the open air, particularly under piaA i
sun makes one inoTdinatey sleepy ana, despite VIC
stranpeness of my couch, was soon hhppliS uucon-
scous of that and of all other external impress
SONS although il was then scarcely later than the
first hour of night in Italian phraseoosy' Vi aoo"'
o'clock p. m. ,,,oo,,. &c ;,,dr
ING INT NJ was probably not more than an hour
later that | woke with a start at the sounG Oh
footSep on the single fonoWea Oy te puSIin lo
of the door, Unarmed and helpless as was shall
not be set down as cOwaIdIy than othef men II
| confess that il was with feeling OF maeScrOaOlo
relief that | saw female hgure enter the cavern.
She held above her head small oil lamp. III shape
like those disnterred at POmpcll, or thnSe Tellcs
of a still older race which hang before the resting
places OF the Etruscan dead. vi the coilhdnulhs
height and grand outline OF lace ana loiiH c"ihHUH
among the peasants of the Sorrento district, the
woman who now stood before me, holding al3lt
in one hand this classical uiensll WElIe WIN tho
other She clasped over her bosom the io!ds {" a
heavy dark shawl oil mantle, one corner o. "hCh
was thrown over her head seemed u me Hhc nc
statue of a Roman vestal stepped down from her
pedestal | watched her with intense curiosity,
taking care not 20 uotray my presence ny ult
slightest movement, and, As l lay hall buried ~
nets and sails in the most remote corner Oh VIC
cavern | was perfectly invisible from where she
stood.
She set down the lamp on the thwart Of one Of tho
boats and as she took her stand, WITH her arms
folded across her chest, and an ar o DARK ltSolu-
tiou on her features the light striking level on
Them revealed them al.the more fully man 9eioie.
1'Lrv were of a slnguariy noble cast. but. though
she was probably not more than thlty-h wears
of age the working OF passion and emotion uaI
scored them with deep lines Anticipating uose Oh
time; and the uniform sallo TINT winch on %A
Italian skin saperscdes, at conPdialiEeN ,alII
are the warmer hue of youth, robbed them OF al
appearance OF freshness or bloom: Inc dark ewes
burned with restless gusallshcd NGHl III lHrH
deeply sunken orbits and her face, while 1t eN-
pressed unusual strength ot mind ana character
conveyed also the impression OF heart III M case.
She had not been more than minute IN me att
tude of cNpectaucv | have described, when "a nasty
step on tsie beach caught her ear ana NINE smut
taupOU~lN and she turned IOulN Nitu q bitt'i dh'A
scomful smile 10 meet the new arrival. III was
somewhat 20 my surprise. another woman WHO
appeared on the threshold. hrcai HESS Win the
hurry of her movements, and perhaps from d-ltd-
ton. which she seemed, however anxious not TO
hciray. She was of very different Type nom thc
first colnCr-at least ten years younger OF lar more
reLundant contours OF figure and face, less tail ana
glowing with all the bloom that the nthcI AaI lost
she had no prctcnslOns to the same ORDER q" beauty
vet eclIpscd her in moment BY her SUPERIOR NlHor
of mere animal existence. Her features did Aot
conform TO any recognized canon OF symmetry, DuI
# they could not defy criticism. dlSailncd u ny
their absence OF oil harsh on lnr; WINE htI lIl7
and cheeks. ripe rs q pomcgi1halc %! nm Tue
dcwy soitncss of her dalk ewes ana ths nan uu,
conscious smile that displayed perfect range OF
teeth would have atone" lof even 2Ir'ier " !
lgrltv. Yet second look impressed me less laN"T-
ably han the first, and saw suggestion oi seh'uh!
coaIscnCSs in the full mouth "a contraction I'D the
low brow on which the luXurIInt black HAIR grow
far down and underlying the superficial genahty
of coloriDg and perfect physical dcVelopheut
look of cruel force in the somewhat hcaNIIy-set Jaw
and in the strongly-marked line of the broad dark
brows. She had long blue woollen scarf wound
about her head. and She came IN smOOthel the
short ruicd barr on her forehead with coguGttl-h
gesture that seemed habItual. Whether from hurry
or excitement her bosom was hcaving high un1er
the ample cXpanse OF white chcHi7ctte ABOVE lh'
tirht compression of her laced bodice and she
placed her left hand on II as she spoke as thoush
to rcprrss It's unqulet throbnin2. , ,
SAINT Antonio, Donna FilOmc, lfiomenal she
exclaimed at what place ana honF yI" n IaH9
for woman at your time OF lie, about whom 40
one will talk no matter what she may 90 Dni al
nv age II is another affair, and If the ncIghhoIS saw
me abroad at this hour of night their tongues would
wag for 4 twclycmOnth.' 1890
The elder womans lip wiiEcd bitterly.
Ii j. pity you were not always 20 careful ol
yOur reputation she said, for ! suppose you are
aware that the neighDors knew right well why
StefanC's boat was always to be seen haunting
those rocks Wonder, and why Don Basuano, poor
man, had to brick up thc r0Tldt1 of La MainriIa.
They both spoke in the rapid dIaect Of the country
with which, however long practice hAd rendered
mo nor gUf
dark shade passed for a moment over the hand
some face of the Younger woman, ana she gave o
short uneasy laugh. As for that she said, AN
not to be held accOunian4e loI az Stcidho move
ments nor yet for al! the foolish actions Of my
that is OF Don Bastiano.' she concluded hastily
with sort Of gup in her throat. But suppose.
She resumed returning 20 her first tone OF dehantc,
Won have not called me from my house at such an
hour with all this secrecy aud mystery TO listen 20
the gossip of the village abOpt bygone tales.
The secrecy, said the first conner, turning to her
with frown OF stern significance, ~ for your sake
not for mine for | have that 10 say 20 YOU ulO-
conda della Marinea, which the walls might have
ears to hear and tongues TO carry to your detImeh
not TO mine
mirror dullcd for a meut the richer glow OF the
other womams face, aud the hand she he'd on her
breast closed on IT with a convuislIe pressure.
assume daring tone OF injured innocence i 80
mot understand you. Donna Filomc, nor OF what
you mean TO accuse me, though your n"tNe Is pam
enough AIN free woman now, ana AL thc WOrid
NAV know that Stoiano wrole as soon as ~ hcafu H.
promising TO marry me Oh his return. hey may
know. too that when his ship passed the point this
morning, on her way TO Naples, the signal we had
agreed on was flying ~ the rigging. mat he WI G
here tomorrow. and that in few days more shall
be his wife | am not ashamed 10 acknowledge II,
nor is he She spoke these last words III tone OF
almost nsOcut triumph, ard fixed her eyes dciantlY
on her companions lace, but had 70 lower them IS
The elder woman turned on her with fierce fash
of scoru and fury. .
Woman, Won shall never he his wife, and You
know why Five years ago | was free ], who bad
loved him all his life, ana he would have married
me-hc was certain to do so-when you came be-
tween us You won him from Inc with your arts
and your eilrontery was cast aside and forgotten,
but have bled my time. and now it has come
she bent toward her like a serpent about to strike
It's prey and Kissed word into her ear. 1t was but
whisper yet it reached me III the arthcst recess OF
the gr0ttO, making my pulses stand still IN sympa-
thctic horror.
'ATc'eTd;rccp
It's effect on Gioconda was instantaneous. In
She Sepmnn 10 COapSG tOgrthrr, Stlggtling