The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-11
AWOMAN'S PASSION.

just crossing 10 Capri for week.
A week is but seven days yet at % one
may live a great deal in seven DAYS, espe-
cially if you include the evenings, with
bright moon TO them. and the Bay of Naples
for ii to SHINE upon.
Beatrice and her mother remained at the
Hotel Victoria in Naples. They were Fall
coners, well-known people, and Phil was
engaged to Bee. She was pretty girl, but
after the colder type of English beauty.
For instance, she was not prone to express
admiration for things and landscapes,
though she felt it. Her mother went to and
fro, looking at what she was hidden tn look
at, and exclaiming: "Wonderful! What
excellent taster' and that sort of thing.
Beatrice behaved as though her mother
spoke for her also. Mrs. Falconer WAS a
fine figure Of a woman and carried her long
stemmed, tortOlse-shell glasses with con-
siderable grace.
But there was no doubt about Bees af-
lection for Phil, VINO was cousin of re-
mote kind. Phil knew that this was so, for
had not he ielt the gentle pressure Of her
arm in his at moments of supreme ecstasy;
when, for instance, they were listening TO
the music in the Villa Gardens on a royal
afternoon of May or strolling up and down
the Via Ceraeciolo at promenade time, with
the crimson sunset clouds over the glorious
bay, Vesuvius beauteOuS purple shade,
with a gold-tipped coronet, and the long
headland OF Pesilppo enchanting as the
arms of a siren? Yes. Phil knew his little
cousin better than any enc else in the
world and was content that be was TO marry
her when she was 81.
As an artist of means, the young man
was not compelled TO sue nature and his
own artistic moods with crushing earnest
ness. He had about thousand year, and
painted only when the passion was strong
on hun.
La Naples, strange TO say, he had not once
taken up a brush. And yet it was not so
very strange. either. For they had lived in
fashionable whirl, with dinners and tennis
in the garden of the Prince di CaslrO-who
adored all things Engllsh-SuDpers at Posi-
Hippo under the starlight with the splash of
the blue waves against the base of their
SUPP er-table, the theater, and Wagner's
operas at the great house of San Carlo
which costs the Neapolitans so much to
maintain.
How should the sweet spirit of art find a
corner in his soul in the midst of this
racket 1t tried to do so now and again
when, for example, they sat on their hotel
balcony and looked AT the moonlight on
tie bay and listened 10 the seduciDg
melody Of mand0ilns below them. But Bea-
trice was then its rival. Her cold little hand
set lightly on Pills sinewy brown ones
And so in a moment of dutifulness to his
Ideals, Phil said one day:
Il must &c to Capri.
Mrs Falconer declined positively to make
this little voyage of four or five hours. She
was won't to feel very III during the crossing
from Calais to Dover. Besides. the Bay OF
Naples has vigorous little waves at times,
and the packet boat is mean affair.
''Oh mama" sighed disappointed Bee
but il was no use.
That was how Phil came to set off by
himself. He waved his handkerchief in
the direction Of the Hotel Victoria for sew
era minutes, and then, having lighted
cigar. turned his attention TO his fellow
passengers, and the gray, angular shape
which was soon to declare itself definitely
as the witching island which Tiberus tried
10 make into palace and country seat
both 10 one
The gers were what he expected
mostly Teutonic, the gentlemen in German
made straw hats and coats fitting tight TO
the waist. wearing speetaeles for the most
part. with tin cases-fer sandwiches, dried
specimens and so forth-slung from their
shoulders, and veTv much absorbed in their
Baedek ers, and the ladies enthusiastic
enough TO make him shudder. Two or three
Brtons in light suits lGun2ed about, reject
ing the addresses Of the men who sell coral
pins, tortoise-shel combs and copies Of
Neapolitan "eanZoni"; but he did not feel
drawn to them.
L shall be rather glad when l have got
through tie trim" mHrmured Phil TO him.
self. 81 miss Bee already. No, thanks. |
don't want any. | tell you desire none of
your things. Can't you leave fellow alone,
you beastly nuisaDces?
These words were forced from him by the
solicitations Of the deck. merchants. who
showed surprising patience and asslduity.
In the end they we're repaid Tor their per-
sistenee, as usual. Phil, like many others.
spent several francs In buying them OF into
another direction.
That night, however. 10 the Hotel Pa
gann, where you may see some wonderfully
realistic frescoes on the diniDg-rOom walls
the result of Capri wine. Capri sunlight
and air. and the eXuberance of spirits that
possesses the artist in the island-Phii was
fain to confess that he felt marvelously at
nome. be bad drunk some excellent wine
at the table d'hote-not the ordinary table
flu id by any means-and had enjoyed some
Lively conversation. HIS neighbOr was a
veteran EngIisbman who spent three
months annually in Capri land mean to do
so as long as can t0ddle, sir. The gen.
teman, like himself had turn for art and
had taken Phil TO his private room and
shown him his pictures.
If the young man had had the gift OF
mental analysis he would have realized
that his excitement was due in degree TO
a certain one Of these pictures.
IL was a conventional enough study-a
girl in Capri costume with pitcher on her
head; background, staring white wall
with the sun and a lizard on it, and the
crest Of a palm-tree above the wall. But
the girls face won him In a moment
Mr BrabaZon. the stranger. laughed
when Phil expressed his admiration.
''She's young yet; in few years she'll be
bag II you like, I'll send round word
that you'd like TO have her for sitting or
two. LIS a good chance. as five artists
cleared out yesterday, , 10 take their can
sweet. IL rather bold, face of II or IS,
with eyes dOVelke, and yet with the most
aliurihg of slight smiles in their brown
depths, the lips just parted with the smile,
white even teeth. hands aud feet and ears
al small for Southerner-such was Caro-
lima Cert, the model
BrabazoD seemed trife amused at the
way in which Phil expressed his sense Of
the girls beauty.
"0h, yes, she's we'll enough, with high
spirits like all these Capri damsels. She'll
be spoiled ont and out by and by, and box
mans ears as soon as look at him, but
not yet. Her terms are 10f the sitting.
which IS mighty good pay for her. She'll
be lass worth marrying in year or two
for Capriot."
Phil and this EDgishman paced up and
down the hotel garden between the rose
trees under the moonlight at 10 o'clock
thew parted and went TO bed. But Bee
Falcoper's beirothed did not sleep all at
once for the brown. ardent eyes OF bis
model of the morrow were with him as he
law. He looked at Bees photograph In
silver frame-which he was under a self
fmposed vow always TO take with him
wherever he went-and then looked
quickly away. 1t was rather absurd OF him
thus to be almost infatuated with dream
figure, But he bad the artistic tempera-
ment, which has wild, hayward will OF its
own.
The next morning be had but just dressed
and his coffee and rolls been brought In
when Carolina CeTti appeared.
II am ready, Signor," she said, as she
threw off her red-and-white gossamer shawl