New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
MI.


MI.
There was no moon that evening, but the sky was
cleor. and the air soft and still At o'clock Am
l,rose set Ont for a walk for he found his nerves IN
some disorder and wished 10 quiet them. Passing
tbrough the rugged and narrow street of the old
town he came upon the road which goes westward
between the margin of the tidal river and the base
of the long hill lie walked toward the setting sun.
win the river on his LETT. The splendor OF the
western Sky was repeated and deepened IN the st'l!
wafer The solitude WAS complete; nor was any
souud audible. except his own t0ot-tramp As lie
walked onward. the glow faded slowly from the
heavens and the further bank OF the broad river
became indlsiu luishable from It's own reflection ih
the stream II that immense calm and silence, his
hurrying thoughts and heated Imagination seemed
a foolish nmpcrtmence The stars ,parked softly,
but more and more distinctly. above. How many
passions of mcn-how many races of manknd-had
they out,cd BE charitable, be kind, be unseltisD
for what matters a little gain. little triumph
little cxaltation? He who wins iGnoby, loses 10
uo5lv These still voices of amending nature fell liAe
cool dew into his feyersh and confused mind. lie
came 10 a little stone bridge, beneath which the
water, from lagoon on the other side of the road
flowed out INTO the river with low liquid ggES.e'
The starlight fell upon the dark cddlcs tie leant
for many minutes over the stone parapet, gazing
and dreaming At last he turned aud walked
slowly back toward the town.
he climbed the HILL and stood upon the level eX-
pause of the terrace. The town beneath him WAS "a
mOuuded mass of darkness. tvlnkllug with starry
lights which quiveTed IN tremulous lines across the
surface of the bay. YonJcr the yacht lay az an
Choir defined by "A red and Il green lantern at stern
and stem Now another lantern was carried along
lain bpr a
piash,ng sound; dark object g led shorewlrd.
with "A steady Rhythmic movement. II reached tue
wharf and there stopped. and was lost - view IN
the shadow. Ambrose Withdrew from the parapet,
passed hencath the spreading branches OF the trees,
and some rude steps cut % tine face OF the rock at
the back Of the terrace. 4 small cedar grow here,
with crooked bouehs. and fan-hke layers Of dark
foliage. Beneath this tree Ambrose found seal /;
and leaning back. I've folded his arms. As he did
So the clock n the square tower of the old church,
down in the village, struck Q. 4 few moments later
"a mans figure entered the gate at the eastern end of
the terrace aud walked across to She centre where
he halted and glanced about him. AZ rested his
shoulders against the trunk Of tree, and renamed
IN this position for several minutes. Meanwhile
Ambrose kept his eyes fixed upon The western gate.
Suddenly at last, she Ape tred, walking with the
step he know so well, and he remembered that
former night, when he had seen mysterious APP
partition hIttng beneath the shadows OF lhe trees.
Ambrose now rose and passing along the rocky
wall al the back OF the terrace entered growth Of
shrnbbery. and go gained the road down which Miss
Cadogna had Just come. He did not wish actually
To witness this intervicw,-partly GA his own &C
| count, but more on account Of the duke. tie had
seen enough ID be able TO say that lac had been pres
ent at the meeting and thai sufficient. lie felt
confident OF the lady's ability TO keep her lover in
! H.. tod al % a
J position near enough to be summoned II any
emergency should arise, but where be- could neither
see nor he seen. in order 20 bcguile the monotouy
! Of what might turn out prolonged vigil ne took
| ont cigar cautiously struck Light, and smoked.
1t was an odd situation to find himself in and
| trying if not tragic, though il was om point
of view it had It's ludcrOus sldc,as Ambrose did not
| fail TO perceive But he also perceived that the
ludicrousncss of it would appeal more strongly to
dsnterested third party than 1t did at present
/ TO himself He might laugh next year; bat he did
not feel Ike laughing now. u cot impossible,
moreover that he was making fool of himself, or,
worse vet, was being made a fool Of. He did not
! know this Crl-thIs sumptuous, smiling. mysterious
Beatrice; ho had not cOmprcheuded nor fathOmed
her. he could not f0rrteil what her action would be
! under given conditions. Why should ne trust her ?
If she had been frec5lcd and crooked, like Miss
/ O'Mutan. would lac have done so, suppose, then.
that she was actually love with this Italian VINO
might Dee a duke or who might bee anything cl,aI,
and that she had designed 20 torture Ambrose 10y in
/ vltiug him to witness their lovers mcrt.ugY She
would know how 90 make 1t "a torture to him, IH the
most poignant sense of the word Doubtless too.
she would communicate the fact of his presence to
the Italian; together they would concert methods
OF protrctiua and increasing his torment. True.
! Ambrose had fooled this part of their Arrangement
by withdrawing himself from sight; but he unfor-
tunately possessed a vivid imagination, and he
could sce-l.most rs distinctly If he really saw 10
| the Italian throw hi. arms round Beatrice and
press hs lips passionatciy % hers and she did not
reco-uo, she responded % the pressure. The artist
jumped 10 hls feet and made a step or two IN the
direction of the terrace But in a moment he
halted. and turned on his heel What had be been
going % dog
It was foolish. IL Was shameful. TO suspect
Beatrice of such things. But it was a curious tact
that bee could not apply ans moderate or ordinary
judgments % her Ii she were anything bat good
aud pure she ~ lht easily be pheuomenaIly wicked.
Her nature was "a singular miugling OF the Italian
and tire Irsh What kind Of "a woman had the frs,
| Beatrice been, who had 40 mystcriously dsap-
pcarcd II the tradition represented any truth she
had al all events oheyel the law within herself In
preference 10 any higher law. There was no reason
10 suppose that the migrating OF the IRISH element
would have rendered her any more law-abidnG 1t
might. ON the other hand, iortily the italian merci
le.sne-s and unscrupulou'ness with ilie-iln gay
ety and humor The Irish are the only people who
can murder with joke on their lips.
Ambrose tried 20 turn the current Of his thoughts
| into some other channel Had 1t been daylight, ho
might have found distraction in outward objects,
but In this dark lane. ho could do nothing bul pic
ture 10 himself the scene on tho terrace. WHY might
NOD fft.lta LA
| Adventnferf Who could tell with what motives
he might bo pufBuiug Beltrcof Was not he th,
only authority for tho truth ~ hiH htnfy 70 per
| sho could not ludgo Of mon sho had no experience