The record-union., 1891-10-03

Nastasia chose to be imperious with
everybody just at that moment. So
moments were lost.
There was nothing for it evidently but
to let matters take their course. Brown,
after standing one moment longer
sauntered onward and down to the
quay. II pair of Corfiote lovers quar-
relied, why should he trouble9 Even if he
did know little of what fiery-blooded
Jealousy could imagine, was he not as
strong and as cool as another man? Be-
sides, jealousy and he were not touching
each other; he was only thinking OF his
friend.
so he strolled on and reached the quay,
Where, though it was hours before the
plg black steamer was advertised to
start, there were already heaps of the
luggage of travelling tourists, besides
Knots OF native folk going OF to Greece.
Montenegrlns, Dalmatians. white
tunicked Greeks, black -hatted Greek
priests, Turks with the red fez; nay VINO
was there not?
There was Il young moon Just then. and
she was already showing her silver cres-
cent IN the eastern sky. On the be-
grayed waters the new light Of the night
brought back the days blue. silvered aud
Jeweled, as the wavelets softly rose and
telI; there white-keeled American ships
OF war lay still on the waters, resting in
theIr Mediterranean cruise; lanterns
hung here AMI there, and the moon rays
struck athwart the stars and stripes. Just
beyond lay the Austrian Lloyd steamer,
lanterns there moving about, and the
distant murmur of voices declaring that
loading was going on there. a boatman
came up to Brown, and asked if he was
'tor the ship"
"No.n
Still Brown fingered on. There was
enough going on about him to nil the
eyes OF an idle man, and he was q man
who had the happy faculty OF finding
pleasure IN even the small, daily doiugS
OF the people he came across in his trAV-
els. Sights were not for him always
those he had to pay money to see; nature
and picturesque people were TO be had
1or-only the trouble Of opening ones
eyes.
So he stood for half an hour-for an
hour.
III that interval Anastasius had gone
again to Nastasia. He had let his anger
grow; he had upbraided her with falsity
and with coquetry. In fact, his tongue
had run on so hotly that he had said five
hundred things his heart never meant.
The truth was, he loved Nastasia; had
loved her ever since he was q boy; and
the whole place of kressida looked upon
the two as belonging to each other
One can never account for the ways of
girlsi Nastasia, in her heart of hearts.
lie was her lover; she would one day be
his wife and then she would no more
wash the linen by hressida, but would
live with him in the town of Corfu, where
he hada fine trade out in the road Of the
blackSmiths
Then on this very day had come the
unreasonablenesS, the hurly-burly in her
mind, the actual wickedness which had
made her pretend she did not care for
nm. Never before had she felt that she
liked other people to say that she was
beautiful; never before had she really felt
that IN some strange way, she, peasant
girl, had some strange power Of winning
admiration.
The feeling was pleasant; she had in
dulged it. and had let it grow; she had
had such day of new delights as she had
never had before. Could it be that these
strangers could love her as Tass loved
her?
She made up her mind to come into
Corfu on the morrow; if her mother had
no such order from the hotel she herself
would invent the order. Did she not
often have messages given to her by the
maids about hurrying back with the linen
OF the travelling people? And when she
came she would surely see again those
gentlemen, specially the Ione with the
yellow mustache, who could speak her
own Greek with her.
To this point Nastasia had arrived
when Tass met her and scolded her.
Now scolding always irritates one, even
if the scolding be just, and Nastasia, be-
ing girl with fiery spirit, resented the
lecture more than tame girl would have
done.
She answered back; she gave taunt for
taunt; she entirely forgot herself, even as
her lover forgot himself.
why do you not go?' was her cry as,
walking along the white, moonlight road,
she 81 saw q" tn that Io Tass kept by her side.
your father"
"You are devotedn'
"Not at all. But he shall not say that
quarrel with you, and"
And What? The road is safe"
Aye. All roads are safe here, of
course. But L do not leave you alone. I
you; but shall keep you in sight till
you are in your fathers boat"
Nastasla was mad. She was furious at
this What she said she never knew, but
she sprang forward and ran till she was
out of breath.
hidden by some thick trees, and she ran
till she stumbled against an old man.
1t was her father, strolling along to his
boat. He, likewise, had been in the
town.
AS both cried out, running footsteps
came close.
There was-Anastasius, too!
"Ah your father! Petros-she is
safe. She will tell you. Addio."
He was gone.
So the horn was filled for the two
lovers. And now we are back again by
the quay, where we left Peter Brown.
Boatloads Of people had gone off to the
steamer; the quay had lost its picturesque
groupings OF quantity -costumed people,
who were on board; and now the folks
going OFT were those who had taken the
hrst-claSS cabins for Patras, the visitors
and tourists from the hotels, who, what
ever nation they be of, all dress alike and
look like so many pictures out of fashion
books.
Brown found some acquaintances
among them; talked to one and another.
and wished them ''bon VOYAGE" He was
to follow in three or four days; they
might meet again.
He turned to go back to his hotel.
Now he, OF course, knew the way. 1t
was quite direct way; but if you know
Corfu you will know how innumerable
streets go off at innumerable points,
making such apparently slight divergen-
cies. There are cafes at almost every
corner; shoe shops, with scarlet shoes
hanging up, for every third shop;
pharmacy" shops about as Often Really |
there Is scarcely distinctive mark for
the streets.
You may lose your way in moment:
and, try as you will, you get more in
volved the more you try to find the right
way. Brown did this.
He was very cool and very grand in his
calm power Of finding his way to the end. |
He looked at the sky above, and in the |
strip which the narrow street gave him
he thought he saw certain stars-yes, a |
slight turn to the right would set him the |
proper way.