Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-07


| ton, until his 22d year, when ne accom-
panied bis father on journey through
Notthern Italy. Then, the beauty and
grace OF young Venetian lady made
Guido Lambert torsake his violin for the
softer and rarer music of a woman's
voice. She found it easy to learn to love
me sensitive young musician, and soon
became his WIFE,
The old palace in Florence was closed
anu FOR ten years Guido LAMBERT lived
In Venice with his wife aud father. 1t
was then that he retured TO Florence,
| bringing with him only little girl of s or
y years. In answer to the questions of
his small circle of friends, he simply
said:
"My wife and my father both died in
the North. l have only my little daughter
left"
There was something in his manner,
whenever he said this, which seemed TO
intimate that in some way he had been
ieafiuliy Wronged; but he never entered
| INTO anything further than this vague,
general explanation, and never COM
planned OF his tate, whatever it was.
he now devoted himself entirely to his
music, and to the education of his
daughter, and the seeming atmosphere of
perfect content which encompasssd him
soon dlsarmed the suspicious Of his
ANA so life went on, with unvarying
eVenness, in the LAMBERT palace, for ID
years. Guldo's daughter, at this time a
| woman OF nearly "a. was even more BEAU
| tltul than her mother had been. Her
24th birthday was TO be celebrated by
once more throwing the old palace open
to the gay, brilliant social life of Flor
| ence.
Elaborate preparations were made for
| cd n
most teverish eagerness by the invited
| guests. But, to their surprise aud horror,
me oid palace was dark and sOmbre, on
| their arrival there, on the night appointed
for the birthday festival. The servants
refused to answer any summons at the
door, until the excited people, fearing
foul play, appealed to the police. One Of
the servants then presented slip of pa
per, containing the following words, in
the handwriting of Guido Lam berti, and
authenticated, beyond doubt, by the i'm
print OF the ancient family seal:
81, Guido LAMBERT, have closed my
home and the home of my ancestors, for
reasons which may never be able to make
known. The doors of this palace may
never be opened again, except by those in
whose veins courses other blood than
mine. GUIDO LAMBERTI."
The officer who read the strange note
alone suffered it TO fall to the floor with.
out comment. Then, signaling his men
to follow him, he led them away in ST.
lence. The disappointed and astOnshed
guests did likewise. Pity was the para
mount emotion; no one thought of regard
ing the act of Guido LAMBERT as an IN
suit. The despair manifested in the note
was so genuine that all, with one accord
and asst by mutual agreement, accepted
the unknown cause Of Guido's agony as
a common sorrow.
For five years more the old palace was
alone and silent. only echoing the voices
and footsteps OF the servants. And then
Guido came back with another little girl,
a mere babe OF 3 years this time.
MY mouth is sealed he said. 81 can
not yet explain the cause OF my last de-
parture and my long absence. NY friends
must help me still with their patience.
l can only tell you that my beloved
daughter is dead, and that it is her infant
daughter whom l have this time brought
back with me. To say more would be to
defeat justice-justice to the deadw
Some maintained their faith in Guido
others less generous, limited sometimes,
and sometimes openly averred, that his
silence was the silence of shame and his
sorrow the sorrow of remorse.
Thenceforth his doors were kept closed
except to a few intimate friends; but
even they were never made parties to his
secret.
In the years which followed his sc cond
return to Florence he gave himself up en-
trely to music. The most of his time
was devoted to little coterie OF pupils
whom ne taught out Of pure love for his
art. de was a perfect master of the
violin, and no one else in Italy could win
such exquisite notes from the vibrant
strings. His extemporizarions too, were
quite as wonderful as his skill in other
directions.
Moved by some impulse which, perhaps,
he could not have explained had he
wished to, he named his granddaughter
Enid. AS she grew out Of childhood into
girlhood, and thence into womanhood, she
became round and perfect with the same
beauty which had been her mothers and
her grandmother's. Al the close OF Enid's
18th year, among GuidO's pupils was a
youth named Paola Vercini-the most
talented OF all the old mans class. AL
most at the beginning of his studies he
acquired a deXterity OF lingering and
bowling, a remarkably light and magic
touch, which speedily won tor him sons
place in Guido's heart. And so, a year
later. when he begged for the right to woo
Enid. old Guido answered him with un-
expected tenderness.