San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-17

of dragging my too devoted sGrvror, re
might, despite his protestations, have
been tempted to track me whittier
went. As it was, l felt myself safe, for
four hours must pass, l knew, before
Vincenzo could awake from his lethargy.
And l was absent for some time.
Though | performed my task as quick
ly as might be, it took me longer than l
thought, and filled me with more loath-
ing and reluctance than l had deemed
possible. 1t was a gruesome, CHASTITY
piece of work-a work of preparation,
and when had finished it entirely to my
satisfaction, felt as though the bOny
fingers of death itself had been plunged
deep into my very marrow. l shivered
with cold, my limbs would scarce bear
me upright, and my teeth chartered as
But the fxity of my purpose
strengthened me till all was done
till the stage was set for the last scene
of the tragedy. Or comedy? What
you will l know that in the
world nowadays, you make husbands
dishonour more of whispered jest than
anything else-you and your heavy ma
chinery of the law. But to mel am so
strangely Observation-Disclosures is Bit
terer evil than death. If all those who
are deceived and betrayed felt thus, then
justice would need to become more just
1t is fortunate -. for the lawyers
A.. that we are not all honour
able men
When l returned from my dreary walk
in the driving storm l found Vincenzo
still fast asleep. l was glad of this, for
had he seen me in the plight I was, he
would have had good reason to be
alarmed concerning both my physicical
and mental condition. Perceiving my
self in the glass, l recoiled as from an
image of horror. l saw a man with
haunted, hungry eyes cleaning out from
under mass of disordered white hair,
his pale, haggard face set and stern
as the face of a merciless inquisitor of
old Spain, his dark cloak dripping with
glittering rain drops, his hands and
nails stained as though he haC dug them
into the black earth, his boots heavy
with mire and clay, his whole aspect
that of one who had been c~"aged in
some abhorrent deed too repulsive to be
named. | stared at my own reflection
thus and shuddered; then l laughed
softly with sort of fierce enjoyment
Quickly / threw off all my soiled habili-
mentS and locked them out of sight, and
arraying myself in dressing gown and
slippers, l glanced at the time. 1t was
half-paSt one-already the morning Of
my bridal. l had been absent three
hours and a half. l went into my salon
and remained there writing. A few
minutes after two o'clock had struck the
door opened noiSeleSsly, and Vincenzo,
looking still very sleepy, appeared with
an expression of inquiring anxiety. He
smiled drowsilY, anu seemed relieved to
see me sitting quietly in my accustomed
place at the writing table. | surveyed
him with an air of affected surprise.
"Ebbene, VincenZo! What has be-
come of you all this while?"
"Eccellenza," he stammered, sit was
the Lacrima;-I am not used to wine!
/ have been asleep"
| laughed, pretended to stifie yawn
on my own account, and rose from my
easy chair
"Veramente." | said lightly, 80 have
l, very nearly. And if l would appear
as gay bridegroom, it is time went to
bed. Buona notte."
"BuonaenOtte, signOre."
And we severally retired to rest, he
satisfied thot Il had been in my own
room all the evening, and l, thinking
with savage joy at my heart of what 1
had prepared out there in the. darkness,
with no witnesses of my work save the
whirling wind and rain.