The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-06
qHE PAINTER OF PARMA
OR,
The Magic Of a Masterpiece
An italian Story OF Love, Mys-
terry and Adventure.
BY sYLvANUs COBB. JR.
rcopyright 1888 by MaryJ. Coob.l
CHAPTER III.-CoNT1NUED.


.A;rking Of as you came In sight. have
s.,.ioos question to ask YOU"
Now ordinarily, when the good Duke
..d question for the consideration of his
--o,,rger brother, it had to do with some
- or avent of his life which he could wish
Mould not be opened up for inspection; but
= was never approached in the spirit
which was apparent in the present in
.oa When his Grace wore that warm
emile he, could have nothing unpleasant in
Ms thoughts: so the Marquis smiled back in
nos,onse, and said he would be happy to an
s,ver any question as best he could.
..steffauo." the Duke proceeded with
,oother smile, though this time there was
. tinge of bitterness in it, with all your
ioct IF grace and decorum; notwithstand-
ing the many things you do that-had bet
ter not be done-l believe you have at heart
t1o hest interests of our fair cousin, tho
Princess Isabel"
NV dear brother, if I may speak SO
familiarly-"
IVES, call me brother. and Steffano. if
Won would try to give me brothers love"
"Oh! my Lord! Can you doubt my love?
Heaven grant that you do not mean what
your words implyw
~ did not mean so much as that. l
meant that you should let your life show
your love-that your presence should be to
me pleasure But let it pass | ought not
No have introduced it. You were about to
answer me"
81 would have said, your Grace, that you
did me but simple justice when you give me
credit for the deepest interest in all that
concerns that dear girl"
81 know it, Steffano. ! know that may
trust YOU in that; and, further, l think
your Judgment will be good. You know
what the painter Zanoni, is doing for me9"
YES"
st had long been a wish of mine-I may
admit that it had become a passion-to
have picture of Saint Cecilia that should
bear the portrait of Isabel; and when | had
seen the work of ZaDoni, [ resolved that he,
of all the artists | knew, was the man to do
it, The result is, he is doing it; and, of
course, the Princess goes to his studio, in
company with her old nurse and duenna, to
give the necessary sittings. Now, what l
wish to ask you is this: Can you see any
thing improper in the arrangement Can
you conceive of any possible evil resulting
from it!"
Good heavens!" cried the Marquis, with
a tone and look of utter surprise and aston
ishment. What do you mean! How i'm
proper! What evils do not understand
you"
"Good You give me great relief, brother
And now l will tell you why l asked the
question. Count Denaro is possessed by
terrible fear-a real bugbear-on account
of the affair; and he has had the effrontery
to tell me, to my face, that scandal may
arise from it,
did he say-ScdnddI?- that any human
being in Parma would dare to breathe a
breath of scandal against Princess Isabel's
fair famem
Perhaps" said the Duke, after little
thought, Il go too far. | think he denied
the scandal, but upon my word his explana-
ton was worse still. He feared, as near as
could understand him, that Isabel would
fall in love with the painterl Aye, that
was it. He had the impudence to intimate
if he did not say it in so many words
that the dear girl might be losing her heart
to the handsome artistr'
Steffano laughed uproariously. He said
he could not help it. A more ridiculously
Insane and monstrous idea could not he
thought or conceived of.
I'm the first place. ne said, when he had
got over his mirth, "think what our fair
cousin is think of her pride; her self
respect; her dignity, and, above all else,
think Of her position as your ward-almost
your daughter Bah! Such a thought of
tae next place, think of the painter him
self. He is woman-hater l believe he
was never known to smile upon female
sitter. AT any rate, | have heard so.
Pshaw! tell Denaro he is fool; and if he
would ever win ISabel's tender regard tell
MIN not to let her suspect that be is capable
OF entertaining such thought"
Just what | told him. | thank you,
Stefano, for your hearty support; and
snall go on, as | have begun, until the
picture is finished.n
And with this the brothers separated, the
Duke to wend his way to his chamber of
audience, there to begin the manifold labors
ana cares of the day, while the Marquis
went IN search of Madelon Sandoz.
hetound her in her own apartment, and
alone. He was careful to close the door be-
hlnd him as he entered, and to draw the
duenna to far part of the room, so that
persons passing to and fro in the hall might
not overhear.
MY dear old Madelon," he commenced,
IN gentle, fondling tone, and with look
Sf aifectionate regard, II have just left my
brother Antonio, after having held with him
long and serious conversation OH the sub
Ject OF the Princess Isabel, and her visits to
tne studio OF the painter | will tell you
the honest truth. Count Denaro has been
Irectlng and fussing until be has made
tne Duke really uneasy. You, of course.
would do all in your power to preserve our
eyil.n
OH my Lord Marquisl would give
my lie for the dear, blessed child"
Ihen tell me-and tell me truly and
uonestly-have you ever seen anything that
.ouid lead you to think, or suspect, that
tne handsome painter was exercising
Gn undue or dangerous influence over the
dear girls hearth
The old woman was startled. She re-
neIloered the last scene in tho painters
s.uulo, as 1t had presented itself to her gaze
VI entering suddenly from the waiting
Iooin and she remembered, too, how long
que mad been kept waiting after she was
s sure the painting had been given over for
70. .ue gay. She called to mind her young mis-
uess IN tears, and her trying to hide them;
s a., the strange look in the painters beauti-
Gu 5ul lace, and in his weird, witchlng eyes.
que saw 1t all again, and she felt it her duty
70 yen It, frankly, as it had occurred.
oIenano was watching her-reading cor
;iec1ly every phase of her thought and feel
watching her with an eagerness and
hu ns well-nigh painful, and his heart
s nau Ieaped with triumphant bound as he
sew her about to speak, when a change
came suddenly over the scene.
g. suVery, melodious voice, in an old
,oiar love ditty, came floating on the
ung arcane nearer and nearer-the
'olce OF the Princess Isabel.
CHAPTER ".