The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-22

maternal side, they had been mated to-
gether In youth, and had loved one another
deeply and truly to the end; hence the
mother when dying called upon the dear
friend of her husband to be father to her
child. He had promised, and most faith
fully had his promise been kept The
orphan girl, inheriting the title with the
large estate, had come to him a wealthy
ward, her possessions, in fact, rivaling his
own in value. And this wealth he had cared
for with faith that knew no swerving.
He could not have guarded his life with
more scrupulous fidelity.
II you ask how the Princess CHANGED to
be here, serving Zanoni as a model we an
swer: The st. Cecilia was being painted
for the Duke The subject had originated
with him. He had read the touching story
of the young and be autiful Roman wife,
who had offered her life upon the altar of
her religion-preferring death to a renun-
citation of her blessed faith in her Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christine had read, and it
became with him a sort of infatuation that
he should not only possess picture of the
saint, but that his beautiful ward should
sit for the portrait, that he might thus pos
sess memento that would be doubly pre-
cious to him,
No fear of scandal had entered the Dukes
thoughts. Zanoni was noted for his stern
and answering virtue; for his high estl-
mate of woman and for the scrupulous at
tention to strict propriety and decorum in
bis intercourse with those who had occasion
to sit in his studio.
Once, when the Count Giuseppe Denaro,
an only son of one of the wealthiest, oldest
and most noble families in the duchy, who
had sought Isabel's hand in marriage
when he, with sadly drawn and lugubrious
visage, offered objections to the arrange
ment the Duke had laughed at him out
right.
'In mercy's name, Of what are you
afraid9" the latter had exclaimed. do
you fancy the populace would dare to
breathe the breath of scandal against that
pure being? Surely, you cannot doubt that
her dignity and self-respect will bear her
safely through the ordeal And, my boy,
you cannot know Juan Zanoni if you fear
on his account.
"You mistake me, sire. My thoughts
lay not in that direction"
Before the young man could speak further
the Duke started under the touch of quick,
deep anger.
Count Denaro! Dare you hint at such
thing. By San MARCEL the man who has
not confidence in the immaculate purity
Of"
''Oh, sire sire!" the Count had implored,
grasping the Dukes hand as he spoke "How
could you give such turn to my speechI
Good heavens! l would cut my tongue out
at its roots if | thought it could frame ut
terance in that direction. No, no; meant
nothing like that"
What then, Guiseppel You must have
had meaningY
Dear master" the youth had replied,
with deepest feeling, ''you will pardon me
for what l am about to say. True, Isabel
has not yet given assent to my earnest suit;
not yet has she promised me her hand
still, am sure she likes me, and l have
hoped that she might, ere long, speak the
word that would make me the happieSG of
men. And now. my dear Duke, will tell
you the thought that has given me trouble;
and l shame not to confess it,"
He paused here a few moments, with his
head bent and his hand pressed on his brow.
Presently he resumed:
"Sire, the painter, Zanoni, is, without ex-
ception, the handsomest man | ever saw;
and in his beauty there is weird, spirit
ual Quality-a quality | have at times
thought not of earth-which gives it a
depth and power to charm, which no one
can escape who is brought within its lntiu-
ence. Then, again, l never met another SO
brilliant and entertaining in conversation.
In short, his very presence has in it charm
which is utterly Irresistible. Now, sir,
know that the Princess Is young and i'm
pressible, with a deep touch of romantic
in her thoughts and feelings. Can you not
see what l dreadF "a.
For the space of perhaps three seconds
the Duke had regarded the young man seri-
ously, and then he burst into merry laugh,
and laughed heartily.
have conjured up in that poor fellows
studiol You must be crazy. The Princess
di Varona falling in love, like milk-maid
with a plebian picture makerl Zoundsl
Don't let her mistrust that you think SO
lightly of her! Hush Say no more. |
forgive you, my boy, but l doubt much if
she would should she come to know it. And
now, Giuseppe, as an end to this matter |
will say this: You can only look at one
side of Zanoni's character. l admit all that
YOU have said concerning him-every word
but wish to adobe is welded to his art.
Since he had been in Parma, little more
than five years, he has painted the por-
traits of the most beautiful maidens we
have among us. At least a score of young
and lovely damsels, manageable, yet I'M
married. may say OF them that they were
the loveliest of our lovely women-have
sat to him, have spent hours with him alone,
while he caught their features and trans
ferred them to canvas.
giuseppe, most of those young ladies l
have conversed with Oh the subject of their
experience in the artists studio and have
found them unanimous in one direction of
disappointment and, think | may say, dis
gust. Not all the beauty they were able to
reveal, no possible charm they could bring
to bear, no smiles, nor admiring looks, not
, even their witchlng f1attery, coul1 draw
from him one warm OF gallant glance. Had
they been so many toothleSs old hays it
would have been the same, so far as his
treatment of themselves was concerned. Be
sure. my boy,I knew what / was doing
when | suffered the dear girl to go there.
And, you will remember, old Madelon al
ways accompanied her. No! | wouldn't
forego the pleasure l anticipate in the pos
session cf that picture for my ducal crown
Yet, you know, | would give my life
sooner than harm should come to Isabel.
But that cannot be. Ahal l must try and
see if can fancy Zanoni in love with NOR
tai woman. There away you go. Don't
let any more such COLLINS arise to brighten
you"
The young Count had it on his tongue,
when the Duke spoke of Madelon, to tell
him that the good old woman was never
suffered to sit in the studio while the artist
was painting but pc haps his grace already
knew it and had ready excuse for IL. At
all events he had, at that dismissal, turned
away without saying more.
This has been depression, but it will the
better enable us to understand the situation
about to transpire.
Zanoni had laid his palette and brush
down on a small table that stood near by.
and for a full minute had stood in silence,