Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-24

lish to enable her TO enjoy the various
magazines and periodicals. with which |
kept her supplied,
At about half.past 10 a sound Of
merry voices and laughter announced
the return of the Doctor and lnnocen-
tina. The latter was dimpling aud
sparkling with pleasure as she entered,
followed by an adoring guard Of honor
there was old DR.. Ruspini, couple OF
the open-collared, frizzed-headed young
habifues Of the afternoon dances, and
a wonderful improvement on the gilded
youth of I in stranger who was
presently introduced to us as DR.. Rus
pini's son, young DIR. Carlo Ruspini.
DIR. Cattaneo insisted on the gentlemen
stopping to taste his famous wine, and
| noticed that on this occasion DR..
Carlo was evidently the hoporcd guest.
There | found the Doctor in animated
conversation with-Signor Cesare Viii
laspini; and we were forthwith intro
duced. Was l disappointed? Had l
expected too much? Not altogether.
lie was distinctly gentleman, dressed
like a gentleman, and his hands were
perfect; but-well, he was slightly,
very slightly, inclined to embonpoint,
and / am afraid he was little bald;
both of which trifing details rather
spoiled the poetry of my little
secret romance. But by and by,
when al Signor Cesare" drew
chair near mine and rather laid
himself out to be agreeable, he quite
succeeded, as far as my mother and l
we're concerned. We were quite
charmed with him, and my mother said
his smile was delightful. | don't know
if he was deeply learned, but he seemed
at home on every possible subject, from
German transcendentalism and "Die
neuere PhiloSophie" to the aesthetic
craze in England, from Theosophy and
the Himalayan Mahatmas to the Oxford
revival of 1880 and the Catholic
movement in the Church Of Eng
land. He was devoted to poetry,
and Shakespeare, Goethe, and By
ron were the idols he had set up to
worship in his private walhalla, and
he had lately written an essay COM
pairing Hamlet. Faust, and Manfred, and
their respective authors. But the Doc
tor was getting fidgety; he felt himself
left out in the cold, for we were speak
ing English-so, with a word of expla-
nation to my new acquaintance, ! turn
ed the conversation, in my indifferent
Italian, to a subject more interesting to
our host.
After dinner, when we went out into
the garden. and the usual set had dropped
in-Lucia and Maria and Blanca, Gnu
liza and Carolina, and the young men,
and DR.. Carlo, and all the mothers,
cousins, and aunts-Signor Cesare
again Joined my mother and me, and
asked many questions about -, the
natives generally, and the Doctors
family in particular. lie was amused
at nv enthusiastic admiration for
everything, and when cautiously
spoke of the natural refinement and
good looks Of the two young girls, he
put up his glass and looked critically
at 'Centina, who was standing near,
and, indeed. was at her best to-day, a
little subdued too at the presence OF
her " fidanzato," as we all now con-
sidered the young doctor. Signor &C.
sare dropped his glass.
"She is very pretty" he said; "bet-
HsSimd, truly" but he did not appear
greatly charmed.
"What do you think Of Pia?"
asked, with a hypocritical assumption
of Indifference.
I'm afraid can't give an opinion"
he said comically. Don't think me
ungallant; | am only excessively near
sighted"
And where was Pia: Not among the
dancers. and my new friend had appa-
rently driven her from her favorite place
at my side.
What perpetual sunshine we had
throughout April what balmy breezes
and how we lived out in the open air,
enjoying the mere fact Of existence, and
thankful for the perfection which sur
rounded US can particularly recall
one charming day, when we drove in
the cool Of the morning. right merry
partv-to Losone. where we left my
rattletrap and Signor Cesare's com
Portable landau IA strange pair to run
in couples, but somehow he had fallen
into the habit of roaming about the
country with us, and put bis carriage
at the disposal Of the ladies'. Our
destination was Romeo, and to reach il
we proposed crossing lower slope o.
Monte Ghirdone. 1t was hot day,
but our road led through he woods
and we had plenty Of shade all the
way.
Ny mother and Signorina Modest'
never ioined us in these excursions, and
many were the injunctiOns the latter
gave the Doctor to be sure and chaperor
the young folk efficiently. She would
ask me to aid him in his task, but
could see it was out Of mere politeness
for she had an idea that there were NJ
chaperons in the land from which
hailed, and that naturally could know
nothing of the duties of those usefu
members Of society. As for the Doc
tor, good man, he promised everythin9
she wanted, and for the rest Of the day
only troubled himself with amusing
himself as heartily as he could and a!
'Centina and her young man wer'
always in the midst of half-a-dozer
others, laughing, romping a little
clamberiDg, and gathering flowers
there was really no necessity for duen
mas with Argus eyes to spoil thei
harmless fun.
But-and here | feel rather guilty
and had better make my confession a
once-since that memorable Sunda,
Signor Cesare had, with the aid of hi
eye-glass, looked, not once but man.
tunes, at my pretty Pia, and he eyi
IDENTIFY grew to like the occupation NOR
and more. And when | had told hiu
Of the English lessons, and how sh
could read and enjoy 4" Esmond an
the "Idyls Of the King" he had de