Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-11-17


which had been her mothers and he
grandmother's At the close of Enid
eighteenth year, among Guido's pupils wa
youth named Paola Vercini-the mos
,alented of the old mans class. Almost q
he beginning of his studies he acquired
iexterity OF lingering and bowing, re
narkably light and magic touch, whicl
,peediiy won for him a sons place il
du!do's heart. And so, year later, whel
10 begged for the right to WOO Enid, olt
3uldo answered him with unexpected ten
ierness.
s'Paola," he said, ssto see Enid YOU
wife would be to smooth and sweeten m,
way to the grave. If you can win he
ueart you can have her hand Only, vol
must wait yet for a little while before vol
axe her to the altar. Great wrongs mus
,e righted and a great william punished. =
The time is nearly ripe for what hint al
After that You may have her-if you still
want her when you know all. There is nc
s'aln on her, yet, for all that, you may wish
70 seek some other woman for wife wher
you fully understand what l mean"
eff can win her and you maintain your
willingness, Enid and no other shall be my
wife, (" said Paola. eff there is no stain on
her SO much the better. l should marry
ner anyway, if she did not think me toe
mean and humble"
HThen-wait," answered Guido.
Paoa bowed his head and the subject
was dropped for the time. The young
violinist, however, lost no time in telling
Enid that she possessed his heart, and be
vas overjoyed at finding that she already
loved him. With her first kiss his happi-
less was made complete. Paola's studies
brought him to the palace every day, and
after the hour of music there was also al
ways an hour of love.
One day when Paola came he found old
Guido pacing up and down one of the long
corridors of the old palace with the widest
excitement in his eyes.
'My son." he exclaimed, as Paola ap-
proached, 1.-The realisation of your fondt st
hopes is at hand. If she so wishes, Enid
may be your bride within month. The
day Of my vengeance is at hand. A week
hence am to entertain one whom the
world delights in henoring as Italy's great
est statesman. know him in less favor
able light. He is here in Florence now,
and, thanks to the cunning of few faithful
friends, he is to be entertained here week
from this night, and without surmise ss
to whose guest he will be. When he finds
out it will be too late for him to retreat!
Ask me nothing at present, but do not leave
the palace again, except necessity requires
it, until my distinguished guest has been
fittingly entertained"
The week sped quickly, and the night
which Guido SO eagerly wished for came as
soon as he was ready for it. To Enid and
Paoio the passing of the time was even
swifter than it was to Guido. Late in the
afternoon fearful storm set in, and at
nightfall the noise of the wind, the thun-
der md the rain was terrific.
'Truly fitting night" muttered old
Guido, as he paced up and down the cham
Der in which he intended receiving his
guests.
Eight O'Clock was being struck from the
church towers when the door of the cham
Der was opened and thirteen men were
shown into the room by an old servant who
had been in the LAMBERT palace since the
days when Giuseppe brought home the wo-
man who became the mother of Guido.
One ofGuido's guests uttered an exclama-
tion of surprise as he glanced about him,
but the others eyinced no emotion. Noting
the nonchalance and indifference of his
himself and took the chair assigned to him
end of the long chamber, and, like the
guests, were thirteen in number. When the
man who was at first so much disturbed BIZ
the peculiarities of the room recovered from
his surprise, he found that his companions
had SO seated themselves that the middle
chair was left for him. Trifing as the cir
was it disturbed him, and he
took the vacant chair with unmistakable
reluctance.
"What strange mummery is this?" he
exclaimed. 1.-The walls draped in black
velvet, the room illuminated with the dim
NEST light possible, aud the middle chair
left for me. p
"The middle chair is the place of honor,
Count" explained the man at his right
hand, sand this old musician .juggler re-
served it for you, since the entertainment to
which he has invited US is given expressly
for yenr divertment The velvet hangings
and the dim light are part of his modlts
operandi.'
The Count smiled and made powerful
effort to conceal Ills discomfort. COM
panions exchanged glances, and Two or
three Of them gravely nodded their heads.
Before anything further could be said old
Guido, dressed in rustling, flowing Oriental
robes, came in His strange garb and the
great length of his white hair and beard
made him seem at least a hundred years
DID,
Closing the door, he bowed very low to
his guests and then advanced to the other
end of the room. Those nearest to the
Count observed that be was watching Guido
with wild and unnatural earnestness, and
that every portion of his flesh seemed to be
quivering with terror.
Guido paused beside table upon which
lay violin and bow. Picking them up,
he took few steps forward, and then
pausng, bowed again.
"Gentlemen,' he began, 81 thank you
most earnestly for doing me this honor. l
have invited you mere TO show you how
mysterious an agency music is, and how lit
tie the supernal attributes Of it are under
stood. If you are in sympathy with my
purpose and will maintain not only that
sympathy but the utmost silence, will en-
deayor to demonstrate to you some of the
seemingly wonderful phenomena of this
mCst subtle power of the universe"
A moment later he began playing. After
a few prelnslve notes, he filed the room
with a melody SO soft and so fantastic that
the senses Of all Of Guido's guests seemed
enchanted. Then he led them into descrip
tive music which explained itself and its
story as clearly as if the succession of mar
vellous themes had been accompanied by
words. Night, day, storms, battles, cor
row, JOY, peace, woe, everything in life and
in nature was delineated by the perfect
strokes Of that master bow. This ended
with soft, tremulous, sobbing little melo-
dy, whose last note was sigh. AS it be-
came more and more subdued the light
began burning lower and lower. When it
ceased, the last faint, fickering CLEAN went
with it.
With the darkness followed brief 81
lence, which was only broken by tho sound
of the storm outside, which the thick walls
of the palace did not wholly exclude
After few moments the music, now weird,
menaeing and wrathfnl, recommended. 1t
seemed to fill not only the whole room,
but the whole palace. 1t was in the air
above them: it was in the floor under their
feet: it was before them, behind them, in
their midst; it echoed and reverberated
throughout all the corridors and chambers
of the palace. All of Guido's guests were
awed and surprised, but the Counts teeth
were chattering.
Stronger and louder became the music,