The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-01
TIE SIIROUDED WATCHER.

TIE SHR0UDED WATCHER.
II is many years since the following re-
markable incident in my life took place
For the ordinary commonplace details Of
everyday experience my memory il gener-
aliv held 10 be indifferent, bnt the circum-
stances in this case were such that they
have indelibly fixed themselves in my reco.-
lection. as though they had occurred yes
terlay.
At thetim allude to was IA very raw
Young ensign, scarcely done with the goose-
step. Ny regiment was guartered in the
- barracks, situated in suburb Of the
capitAl of that well-knOwn island fortress
which stands warden over the blue waters
Of the Mediterranean highway, within sight
of ~icilian Etna, and almost Of Northern
Atricl.
10 make my narrative clearer. ! will be-
gin by presenting t. the reader the chief
character IN IT,
feRalDh D. was young fellow with am
odd history. What brought him 90 Malta
none Of us ever exactly knew. Tie was un-
derstOod 10 have been IN one Of 'JOhu Com
panv's" regiments. but whether horse or
foot / cannot remember His own account
was that be had left the Indian service (ipr
some unexplained reasOn), and, having
found HE way 10 Vienna, gtt himself into
regiment Of Austrian cavalry, as not few
ex.BritIsh officers managed at mat time 10
do. But, for reasons best known o. himSe
and the authorities. his stay in the kais ~
service was not Of long duration, and when
loned my regiment i'm the isl nd prluci-
palitv sacred 10 san Public D. was
a we'll known character among the English
residents aud garrison. Not that
the notoriety was altogether con-
duciye 10 his fair fame; but D.
had singular way Of wOrming himself
into the good graces of particular
set, and passed for a gentleman Of atiablc
manners, much wit, and especially eel
tain bold diablerie that stuck at nothing,
and gave him "A kind a popularity among
the more daring spirits In society. How
well can call up his appearance Dars,
brilliant eyes aud black hair; "a tall, little
figure. with very peculiar but really be-
Vltching smile on occasions when il suited
him To please; and a beautifully shaped
contour of head and profile. He was known
to be OF good family, and, az he had boon
IN the service, my regiment had made MIN
an honorary member OF our mess; aud /
rather think another corps IN garrison hai
given him the same entree into theirs. Al
with some OF our fellows though our col
Onel and one or two OF the older officers GER
family did not encourage him much. as his
example was not considered beneficial 10
the Juniors.
D. was a wonderful billiard player. !
never saw any one beat him at dosing haZ-
ards" or the "spOt stroke" As 10 pool,
our Dives" were as nothing In his hands;
and at all card games in particular, both
the skill and the luck of the man were eX-
traOFdnaTy. Night after night ! have seen
him at play. and his winnings must have
almost sufliced 90 maintain him As 10
other traits in his character, | am sorry t0
say | never heard Of one single good or
generous sentiment that could be traced 90
him. D--'s talk at the mess-table o. in
the anteroom was OF the most cynical flavor
il was ever my lot 70 hear, aud though 'de
mOrtuis nil nisi bOnum" is an excellent and
decent moral 10 abide BY, truth cOmpels me
10 add that some very sinister tales on
D-'s influence over the other sex had
got about at the time | speak Of. What
has now come to be Gignihed
with the name OF hypnotism was
unknown as such IN those days,
bur | believe D. possessed some c0nspic
uous powers in this direction, aud am
afraid was not always prescriptions IN /
mis- uss of them. Even al this distance of /
time his portrait stands out clear 20 my
minds eye, with a Kind of Rembrandt-llke |
sheen upon IL, by reason of the mysterious /
shadow in the background which was 60 /
loom up and cover IL with the blacknsss OF |
darkness. ! ought perhaps 10 add, FIR the /
better understanding of what is % follow,
that for a little while before the denOuement |
came, some OminOus whisperings got anoat
among us about D., and the methods
whereby so much silver and gold was per
petualy being transferred at whist and
- OF
own. For in my long experience of those
holding Her Gracious Majesty's csmmis-
sion. notwithstanding 70 black sheep here
and there, IL is not 10 be denied hat scrup-
ulOus honor and fair dealing IA ave ever been
in the forefront OF their traditions.
! now come TO the memorable day OF the
occurrence OF the strange incident, 10 one
phase Of which and othcrs-most OF them
gone nowhere eyewitness.
The season wac Holy Week toward the
end Of April 18th. Music has always been
passion with me, and every afternoon pre-
ceding Good Friday in that particular
week, when ! could get OF duty from The
dust and glare Of the white parade ground
and the mOnOiOnous haWling Of the drill
sergeant, il was my wont 10 steal away O. ,
the Duomo of san Giovanni. And who
that has ever sat In that stately cathedral | z
church, surrounded by its splendOr Of IN $
laid marble and under the magnificent ires !
Goes Of MatteO P;etii. and in the dlmly I
lighted atmosphere. OdOr0us with ince ,se, q
listened 60 the enhancing strains VI the G
Dfice Of the "renebrac,n could ever forget g
Ily such exquisite pathos in the solos. in 2
sxpressibly mOurntul, vet sweet, and then i
he moaning harmOnies Of the antiphO- o
nal chOTuses--like 30 other Music l ever o
heard, OF probably shall ever hear :
igain-while one 10y one, az intervals, the g
great buraing candles on the sable-lraped | G
altar are b ing sOlemnly eXtingulshed' Ny <
thoughts will wander back 10 these i'm. q
,ressiOns, 50 vivid are they still. Well, the 81
we OF Good Friday arrived. / had gone a
,yer 10 see a friend on the Nerdala side Of "a
he Grand liarbOr. and on my return after "
lark, what a night II asstill, calm. 4
ilOudless. a star-specked vault overhead. u
The air was deliciOusly soft; and as | sat IN nj
he stern OF the g0ndo.a-shaped galley while 7;
be dark figure of the bOatman monOtOn- Oh
,usly and silently piled his long sweeps. 81
treat gray ramparis irOWnCd on every side | sh
md lights twinkled, flashing hack In h,
yayering duplicates nom the family rip Ia
ling water | was soon alongside the low an
stty on theNaletta side. and, ascending the Us
reat flight Of steep stone steps. presently on
1uDd myself in the strait strada Reale
lere II was no easy matter threading est
ne's way. for the procession OF the m,
,taziOne," representing the main incidents N,
the passion" was passing up the street th(
I all times this pageant, which some no ic
'ubt would revile as superstitiOus aud pen
Ipistical. has seemed 10 me full Of s0lem- OF
~, Notwithstanding that the symbolic me
lures used are Omen somewhat tawdry and owe
voring too much Of stage properties. In wa
G intense silence maintained by the multi. pre-
de Of spectators, as each scenic group sioi
ssed by; ia the deep reverence exhibited, tho
The wall OF the dirge-like music swells Teal
der and louder. beralding the approach bad
he grand CENTRAL taDleau. the crucihxlon: mel
the saefQl form unrafaQd an, A coloa..f saaf