Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-01-04

NAMED by the hall door but when his
master was safely seated and the cab
window was blocked up by the cloaked
figure Of cabby taking his instructions.
he slipped round the step, and made him
self acquainted with the number OF the
vehicle.
"'The smallest fact is worth some
body piastre, he said, quoting an Ital-
ian proverb as he returned to the hall.
AT the foot of the stairs he met his
wife.
GLOW is she doing he inquired, in
confidential tone.
"Doing-my faith !" repeated Rosette,
with an injured stress on tho first word !;
sit is the opposite | complain of. She
does nothing He bids me watch and re-
port on her actions, and--pcr Bacco :
she sits from morning to night with her
mouth shut tight, and her hand holding
a Prayer book. Even when he sent her
the Englese's letter at noon she showed
no change. | speak all sorts of tender
ness to her-I weep, / coax, but cannot
discover where she went this morning. l
would | had the bag of ashes and the
long cane with which the black faced
Besano Furnishes the wilful. I would
spoil for ever her white skinl"
"Anyhow, you know this" said Jose J;
''she was not gone long enough to visit
the signor at the Strand |"
"Ah, bah to visit himl" laughed
Rosette, scornfully. "How many hun
bred times shall I repeat she is saint |
All that hour we watched them in the
Venetian drawing-room, were we not sat
isfed that they did not exchange even
one kiss %
Meantime the humble four-wheeler
was journeying towards the unaristocratic
region of Soho. II had two occupants
now, the second having been picked up
close to Charges Hotel"
An impenetrable fog overhung the me-
tropolis, and the cabman had some diff
Guilty i'll finding the rather obscure street
to which he had been told to drive. 1t
was composed almost entirely of foreign
warehouses, before one of which he at
length drew reign and his fares alighted
They paid cabby SO literally that he did
not utter word Of complaint and after
seeing them enter dark archway attach
ed to the warehouse in question, he drove
away, never doubling that this was the
ultimate destination of the open-hande d
gentlemen.
Before he had been gone five minutes,
however, they reappeared with skull caps
on their heads, and long worsted comfort
ers muffling their faces, and dived down
a narrow alley nearly opposite.
Thence they passed through network
of by-streets, so intricate that no one I'M
used to the locality would have attempt
I'D 70 oh nj h
1t was the Count who led the way, and
kept up the failing courage of his more
timorous companion.
Half IN hours walking brought them
to the heart of one of the largest and
worst-reputed foreign colonies in London.
Except the policeman and the scavenger,
end to years end.
In street of great, grim houses, that
had been mansions once, and were now
fast going the way of bricks and mortal
when left to take care of themselves, the
Count and his companion stopped and
announced themselves by single rap Of
the rusty knocker on one of the dingies
doors of the whole collection. 1t was
opened so quickly rs to suggest the idea
that some one had been waiting behind it
but who the some one was did not 81
readily appear.
The entrance was involved in ute
darkness, and Sastri-for he was the sec
ond party in this night adventure-kep
tight hold Of the Counts arm as they fol
lowed their unseen guide along an un
lighted passage and down a steep flight o
stairs. Before descending these, how
ever, the woman--if such Withholding
creature could lay claim to the name Iii
a candle she had in her hand, and held i
aloft for the guidance OF the visitors, who
but for its uncertain flicker, would pro
badly have gone down the steep descent
with dangerous CELEBRITY, and head fore
most.
care they here, Mignonetta ?" inquired
the Count, suavely, when he found him
self safe at the bottom.
"When did the Gittos ever fail you {?
retorted the bag, who was in less anna
BILE mood even than usual
"Never, mic cara, never ~ said the at
tache, sweetly. And my good gold ha
testified to my gratitude, has it not?'
If the response was meant for an nc
sent, it was very grudgiugly accorded
and Immediately after the woman pushe
open an iron door that turned with
harsh, grating sound on its rusty hinges
and ushered the two visitors into a
apartment, whose construction shove
that it was originally intended for a wlnt
cellar.
1t had not served that purpose, how
ever, for many score years, and its one
white-washcd walls we're grimy with til
smoke that went circling round thei
from the black cooking stove set in IL
centre of the floor, and which appeare
to have no more appropriate outlet tina
II roughly punctured hole i'll the ceiling.
When the gentleman appeared in tt
doorway, two men who had been sittin
as far away from each other as the limi
l ed space allowed rose to their feet, Il
one with sullen respect, the other wit
servile alacrity
l Both wore bicycling suits. and wei
foreigners, and there all similarity b
. tween them ended.
} The elder heavier and more ruffian
looking fellow was an Italian of the tyI
once terribly familiar to travellers on Il
: Transporting Hills; the other was
| slight, supple, dainty limbed Asiati
$ with the grace and subtlety Of a trl
+ Hindoo in his every glance and NOV
= ment.
1t was Mybrea.
"Well," said the Count, addressiI
them indiscrimiuately rs 'his children
aud speaking English which was the on
language they understood in commo
o Glow did our white mouse run into t
= trap"
4; Easily enough, answered the Italia
i thrueting himself before Mybrea, W
= acknowledged the civility with ia
i scowl "Wa waited where you told l
e aud at dusk lie came along, going t
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