San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-11
CHAPTER xxx.

Shifting colours, confused images, mo
mentS of clear light, hours of long
darkness-all things gross, refined, ma
teral and spiritual were shaken up in
my life like the fragments in a kaleidO-
scope, ever changing into new form and
bewildering patterns. My brain was clear
yet | often questioned myself whether
1 was not going mad-whether all the
careful methodcal plans l formed were
but the haZy fances of hopeleSslY
disordered mind. Yet, no; each detail
of my scheme was too complete, too con-
siStent, too buSiness-like for that. A
mailman may have a method of action to
a certain extent, but there is always
some slight slip, some omission, some
mistake which helps to discover his con.
dition. Now | forgot nothing-I had
the composed eXactitude of careful
banker who balances his accounts with
the most elaborate regularity. | can
laugh to think of it all now; but them
then | moved, spoke and acted like
human machine impelled by stronger
forces than my own-in all things pre-.
else, in all things intlexible.
Within the week of my return from
AvellinO my coming marriage with the
Countess Romani was announced. Two
days after it had been made public,
while sauntering across the Largo
del CASTILLO, | met the Marquis
D'Avencourt l had not seen him
since the morning of the duel, and his
presence gave me a sort OF nervous
shock. He was exceedingly cordial,
though l fancied he was also slightly
embarrassed. After a few common
place remarks he said abruptly:
$50 your marriage will positively take
placer"
forced laugh.
Ma certamente! Do you doubt it?"
His handsome face clouded and his
manner grew still more constrained.
mo; but | thought had hoped"
Mon cher" l said airly, II perfectly
understand to what you allude. But we
men of the world are not fastidiOus,-
we know better than to pay any heed to
foolish lovc-fancies of woman before
her marriage, so long as she does not
trick US afterwards The letters you
sent me were tribes, mere
trieS In wedding the Contessa
Romani l assure you be-
live | secure the most virtuous
as well as the most lovely woman in
Europe" And l laughed again heart
lily.
D'Avencourt looked puzzled; but he
was punctiiOus man, and knew how
to steer clear of delicate subject He
smiled.
"A la bonnie heure," he Said-"I wish
you JOY with all my heart! A minuit,
tous les chats sont girls! You are the
best Judge of your own happiness; as for
me-viye la liberte!"
And with a gay parting salute he left
me. No one else in the city appeared to
share his fOreboding sCruples, if he had
any, about my forthcoming marriage. 1t
was everywhere talked of with as much
interest and expectation as though
it were some new amusement invented
to heighten the merrment of Car
| nival. Among other things, earned
| the reputation of being most impatient
lover for now | would consent to no de-
lays. | hurried all the preparations on
with feverish precipitation. ! had very
little difficulty in persuading Nina that
| the sooner our wedding took place the
| better; she was to the full as eager as
| myself, as ready to rush on to her own
| destruction as Guido had been. Her
| chief passion was avariCe, and the re-
| peated rumours of my supposed fabulous
| wealth had aroused her greed from the
very moment she had first met me in my
assumed character of the Count DIVA.
As soon as her engagement to me be-
came known in Naples, she was an OBJ
| ject of envy to all those of her own sex
| who, during the previous autumn, had
laid out their store Of destinations to en-.
trap me in vain-and this made her
perfectly happy. Perhaps the
supremest satisfaction woman o.
this sort can attain to is the
fact of making her less fortunate sis
ters Disconnected and miserable!