The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-08-15

A few days later piece of news fell
like a thunderbolt; the Rienzis were to
start for France, summoned by business
interests.
Poor Teresa! Where now would she
meet Monteforte? And how could she
induce him to visit her family?
Teresa's emotions assumed an extra
ordinary violence; she shed all her tears
at the thought of seeing Nine. de Rienzi
no more. The same blow struck her in
her love and in her friendship, neither
remaining to mitigate the loss of the
other.
In three days the Rienzis finished their
preparations for departure. Many artists
accompanied them to the station: they
came from Naples for this sad farewell.
Rienzi's departure meant the end of
their reunions and good fellowship, and
each one felt That things that are gone
seldom come back.
They brought flowers, bonbons, souvc-
Mrs, Sorrento woods and ribbons. The
men embraced each other; there were
endless "Evvivas!'
Then the train moved off
Teresa was shaken with sobs Monte
forte tried to comfort her, not knowing
to what saint to appeal, and filled with
pity at sight Of this explosion Of grief
And under the influence Of her emotion
he promised to go to Naples to see them,
herself and her family, for they were to
return to their home in few days.
''Oh! you will not fail, n. Monteforte," s"
said She. Il beg you not to fail. If you
do, 1 shall be very unhappy. All! I lose
all my friends at once. We will talk of
them; you will come? Do you promise?"
He promised; and he kept his word.
Three weeks later he appeared at tho
Cardellis'.
Monteforte was very well received; too
well, in fact The whole family was
there. Never had NJ CarIelli been more
solemn; he wanted to positively dazzle
his visitor.
Nine. Cardelli, warned by her daughter,
had been expecting him every day. In
his honor she had clad herself in the
most sumptuous Of her dresses.
The maiden aunt, Aunt 1Iariuccia, had
also gone to great trouble; it was dis
tressing.
They talked pictures, music, books.
They invited the young man to make
use of their family box at the theatre.
The maiden aunt ventured q few words
so proper that Monteforte shuddered.
Teresa alone, in speaking of Nine. de
Rienzi, of the days that had passed, Of
her regrets, found, poor child, appropri-
ate things to say, And already hoyoung
man was ready to think kindly of her
for the tenderness and sorrow which she
expressed so gracefully.
But the others spoiled this happy inn
preston, drowning it, alas! beneath their
benevolent mediocrity.
The visit was long; they asked him to
come again; he promised all that they
desired
But once outside he calculated an
'ugh!' of deliverance, and said aloud in
order to emphasize it:
''Thank you very much! But never
will you catch me there again"
And in fact weeks went by; then
months, He did not come back.
The artist was too well brought up to
voluntarily carry out so radical project
of abstention; but he lived at Portici.
and his mother, who was something of
an invalid and whom he dearly loved
kept him closely to herself. Moreover.
still under the influence Of Rienzi's ad-
vice, he worked.
When he took the omnibus to go to the
city it was evening He returned on the
last trip.
Nevertheless he left his card twice at
Teresa's parents, giving distance as an
excuse.
For the first few days he sometimes
queried whether the young girls regrets
had Gained.
But soon he ceased to think of the mat
ter and never heard her spoken of by any
one.
This was the state of things when the
Naples Salon opened.
Monteforte, anxious, went to the exhi-
bition Of the Society for the Promotion of
Art, then situated in grand palace, for
merly a convent of DominicanS or Fran
ciscans.
He ascended slowly the broad steps of
the staircase. made for the heavy and
pensive tread of the monks, and, on en-
tering the exhibition rooms, his first
thought was to look for his picture. Had
they given it good place? In the hall of
honor? He found it in the third hall, in
good light, but in the second row.
"Hum!" he growled; "in the second
row! l who have no enemies! 1t would
be like them not to buy it Of me. Papa
refuses me any advances, and haven't
a SOU"
In n nanlnnchnlu mood ALnntnrnnLn tool