The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-27

nao given to the painter a vast deal of in
formation that SIZE never gave at all She
mad held her wits wonderfully at command
LOT her UP to this time she had contrived,
without Justification, to make it appear
toat she had been present at the whole in.
terVlew; and she might have carried 1t out
TO the end with very little thought and cir
cumspectlon. But an unfortunate moment
Tor her was at hand
Dear old Madelon," the MARQUIS said,
with the deerest touch of feeling he could
snow, II do not so much wonder that the
?rlncess should have forgotten herself She
is young and inexperienced, and apt to be
thoughtless, especially, where her sympa-
lies are concerned; but you are older; aud
we have right to look to you to uphold the
honor and dignity of our name. | am sur
prlsed that you did not instantly, when Isa-
Del first started TO disclose the secrets of
your noble masters family, make her a sign
to stop. Did you not realize that it was not
the proper thing to dos Alasl you cannot
have been thinking of the duty-the hearty
loyalty-you owed the good Duke"
But-Marquis! l wasn't there when she
began. If mad been it would not have
happened. But-but," she cried, when she
caught the sudden cleaning of Steffanois
black eyes and the closing of his vengeful
lips, you mustn't blame the Princess. She
meant no harm. If Signor Zanoni asked
her to tell HIM about it, how was she to re-
fuseP
And how, if I may ask, happened you to
join them at allsn
He asked the question as mild and pleas
antly as it was in his power to do.
She had once lost her head, and she was
now lost completely. She answered blindly,
without thought, the simple truth:
Il went in TO tell her that it was time for
us to go home"
so And YOU found her telling our story to
the panter9'
Il told you once-yes.n
How far had she got when you came
upon the scene"
She had just told about the coming of
the old priest, Father Paul, and the wonder
full story he had to tell Of the Princess and
her little son. That's you"
20! she was telling of my mother?"
"Of your mother and yourself, as it after.
ward turned out, but"
"But she had not spoken of my coming
home to Parmaw
"Bless you, no. She hadn't said a word
about you. Your name hand't been men,
toned, no more than as though there had
never been such person in existence. So you
needn't borrow any trouble. | heard every
word that was spoken about you-every
word, and not a thing was said that you
could have found fault with"
The Marquis laughed-laughed as though
something had greatly pleased him.
Come, Madelon, you can't imagine how
curious l am to know what the painter
thought of me. OF course, he must have
said something. Now, be good to me and
tell me what it was"
He didn't say anything that you would
care to hear, not a single thing
80, but he must have said something.
Did he say | was handsome?"
mo he did not"
did he say was uglyp
"Of course not"
"Did he speak of my agei Ali he did
speak of that, ehF'
at was only word, Marquis"
AHA! know. He thought looked too
young to be the long-lost brother"
"You are wrong there, Signor. On the
contrary, he asked the Princess if she had
never thought that you looked older than
you were"
Ibid he say, older than / am, or older
than claim to be!'
''They had reckoned your true age-the
age of Giovannls younger son-and he
meant, older than that. Now 1 hope you
are satisfied"
Eyes, good Madelon; and l am grateful,
too. | suppose you saw, the moment your
eyes fell upon the canvas, that it had not
been touched at that sittinga However, that
wasn't the Princess fault"
at wasn't auybody's fault. And" with
vindictive swapping of her eyes and an
angry pursuing of her lips, Il don't know as
it was anybody's business"
''You are right. 1t was none of mine, at
all events. Thanks once more, my dear
Madelon. Goodnight"
Its the most sensible word you have
ever spoken, Marquis, and repeat it with
all my heart. GOod-nightp
A f,,I |.
turned upon her heel and strobe away with
all possible speed.
The Marquis stood and watched her III
til she had disappeared, and still stood gaz-
ing into the vacancy she had last filled. So
for time, and then he cast quick glance
around, to assure himself that he was
alone
"By heavensr" he exclaimed, with fierce
shifting together of his heavy hands, lit
has gone further than / thought What
were they doing all that time alone to-
gether, and not a touch of a brush to his
canvas? As l live, | believe she loves himl
She has given him her heart, and will give
herself if she can. And he will grab the
prizel He would be a fool if he did not.
I'd wager my life that they have already
talked Of flight Aye, but"
At this point he caught his breath and
started as though ghost had suddenly
arisen and confronted him.
''Sau Marco he has my life, as lisa bella
knows it, laid bare. He knows all she
could tell him. He knows too much. l
have no time to waste. Shall | put stop
to her visits at the studio? And there must
be no more conference between those two
Luckily, before they ha0 come to my part
in the story old Madelon was with them, and
in her presence the man would be guard
ed But when they next meet, without the
duenna to overhear, what notes and data
may they not make up and compare! By
heavens, l must open the eyes of the Duke
and set Giuseppe to thinking If | can work
upon him as | think / can may bring down
nv two birds at single shotr'
As the last words fell from his lips the
great cathedral bell of the Assumption. in
its deep and solemn tones, proclaimed the
hour of TO- That was the Dukes usual
time for presenting himself at his social re-
ceptions and Steffano wished, if possible, to
see and speak with him before he should
have left his private closet.
"Aye, have itp' he muttered, as he
turned in the new direction. Let me have
his consent to the experiment, and if do
not open his eyes, then call me duncel"
He found the Duke in the same small
ante-room where we have seen the twain
once before, in the act of putting away a
lot Of papers, which he had been probably
overlooking
"Ah! how is this, Steffanol have been
making myself very oasy aud content in
the assurance that you were entertaining