The midland journal., 1890-08-29
The Handsome Orlando
TRANSLATED 'FRom Thu FRENCH OF OIL.
WEIR CHANTAL BY BENZ. R. TUCKER.


CHAPTER VII -COntlDued.
But her Orlando was descending the
Salita Concezione. He walked with
steady step and disappeared at the cor
ner of the church.
The bewildered parents had no resource
left but to carry Teresa to her room,
where the poor young woman had vio-
lent attack of the nerves.
The next day no one in the house dared
look the others in the face.
The lamb had revolted; at one stroke
he had decided all questions.
He had not delayed for specious cavil-
ing, he had not discussed, he had not
excused himself. Though he had here
tofore endured all the little daily an
noyances of which they were now con-
scious withe It confessing it, it was
evident that knew how to cut without
an effort the tenuous threads that bound
him.
How could he do that SO easily? Ger
tainly there were laws-a sacrament,
some sort of guarantee of the world?
Yet he did not seem to suspect it.
How bring these claws of guarantee"
into action? For it is very difficult to
explain ones reason when people answer
you:
"What is that to me? Prove it to me. "
And similarly with those who go away
without discussing.
But perhaps he would return at meal
time?
Teresa went from the window to the
landing, and plunged her black eyes in
dismay to the foot of the Concezione.
Her husband did not appear.
Now how she cursed her stupid jeal-
ousy!
She accused the others, and said that
if she had been left alone with her hus-
band things would have been arranged.
But for them her Orlando would have
calmed her with word, with one of
those comical excuses that disarmed her
and of which he had the secret.
Nevertheless, she could now see that
the comical excuses had been growing
less frequent, that they were no longer
made with the same spirit, and that her
husband was getting weary.
At moments she promised herself that
size would make him terrible scene on
his return. But she would hold him
firm in order that he might not escape.
The fear of losing him again A'ndered
her prudent. Then she said to herself
that it would be better to rec To, him
with caresses. Scarcely little reproach,
OH! very veiled, among the passionate
kisses with which she would cover his
face, his hair, his neck, his garments.
Bad man! bad man" she would say
to him. "Why do you give me such
pain, when l adore you, my Orlando?"
But the time passed. The meal hour
came; then 3 o'clock, then 4. They sat
down to table without him. Nothing
was eatable, and the plates were removed
almost untouched. Teresa left the table
before the end of the dinner. Donna
Bettina and Aunt Mariuccia sighed re-
peatedly and endeavored to keep back
their tears.
Don Agostino, very stiff, tried to ap-
pear digni6ed and was only embarrassed.
When night came, he started for the
safe. For three hours he promenaded in
the Rue de Toledo to the Largo Palazzo,
and from the Strada Chiaja TO the Piazza
del Municipio. But in vain did he stop
each time at the cafe windows; no Or
lando!
Poor Teresa awaited his return, and
her first word was:
"Well! Orlando?"
For she had never dreamed that they
would not bring him back to her that
evening
Don Agostino, humiliated at his pow
erlessness, answered that he was not at
the cafe.
They did not find him for three NOR
tai days.
Teresa's condition was becoming terri
bic. She accused everybody, ate moth
ing, and wept day and night in despair.
The fourth evening, Don Agostino, in
spite of his fine show of dignity, had at
last resolved, not without struggle, to
resort to the final means of seeking in
formation, when suddenly he saw his
son-in-law enter the cafe in company
with Ferucci and Del Vecchio.
He walked with his customary gait,
exaggerated little in its carelessness.
And the poor Don Agostino noticed with
annoyance that his flight had benefited
him. The animation that characterized
him before marriage had returned. There
began to dawn upon the obtuse mind of
the father-in-law some vague notion OF
the ennui which his family must have
caused the young man in these five years.
He saw him as he was before marriage;
Monteforte seemed to have effaced from
his memory everything that had taken
place in the interval.
A confirmed bourgeois. influenced by
preiudIces and by fear OF "what people
will say" Don Agostino said to himself,
with exaggerated anguish, that to Monte
forte there were no such things as family
reasons.
"Well, we will see" he said to him
self, in despair at his weakness.
And for two hours he waited for his
son-in-law outside the cafe, in the mean.
time preparing speech as well as ques-
tions and answers for all possible emer-
gencies.
The young husband finally rose, laugh
ing and launchinga last pleasantry-the
Orlando of former days.
ooh! as bad as ever" murmured Don
Agostino.
NJ. Cardelli advanced with firm step
towards the door, in order to find HIM
self face to face with his son-in- law. The
latter did not turn away, did not change
countenance, lost nothing of his good
humor.