New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-07
DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY MAY TwENTYFotR PAGES

| find n couple of friends and explain matters before
going TO the ball 10 meet the Contcssa, Us nc hau
promised to do. lie had forgotten an Important
detail, however. and as he passed Campo'ohico WIN
was also going away. and without MS WIFE, VI,
nrctence of an engagement at the club he stopped
him. 49,,
"By the by he said, Il suppose we are osfensi-
h,x ouorrellinc about a painter. or something OF
that sort"
"Yes-anything Zichy. for instance. Every
body saw us looking ut the picture You like IL
and do not"
Very WE'LL"
So they parted, TO meet in all probability. AT
dawn ON the following morning III qnle' p'a.c
orts;do rho city. Ghslcri found the friends in
whose hands he placed himself. telling them that
he was quite Indifferent t. the weapons, and only
desired 10 meet his adversary's wishes as iar as
| possblc since the affair was very insignificant
He remarked in an Indifferent tone that, as he ma"
once tonight with Campodonico. using foils. and
nc the latter had not seemed satisfied OH that oc-
casion. he had no objection to pistols if the oppo-
s;,o side nrcferred them lie wished everything
70 be arranged as amicably as possible. he said'
and without any undue publicity. lie left them
at his lodging and departed to keep his engage
ment at the embassy. As he drove through the
hitter air in an open cab. he meditated on his po-
| sition. and wondered what Maddalena would say
| when she learned that he had been out with his
| old adversary She should not know anything
about the encounter until it was over, II he coud
| keep il from her. At all events he reflected he
| had done all that man could do to Keep OUT OF
| quarrel as he had promised her he would, ana he
| had been driven TO break promise oil far more
| sacred nature than the he had given her If
| che knew the truth. too it was for her. and for
her alone, that he was to fight. lie wondered
| whether peops, would say il was for Laura Ardcn's
| sake. on account of the discussion about the evil
| eye which had taken place at table. The sueges-
| ton annoyed him very much. but he reached his
destination before he had found time TO reason ont
| the whole case, to decide what to do In any
event it would he better if people thought that he
had taken the foils in defence of an unprotected
widow like Laura, than for the good name OF the
| Contessa dell Armi.
| She was there before him. looking very
| lovely in a gown of panst green, half COW
cred with old lace The shade snltei hcr
fair hair and dazzling skin. and she looked
| taller in faint colors, as short women 40
| lie found her seated in one of the smaller
! rooms. through which he had to pass on his way
| 70 the great ballroom. and she surrounded by
| four or five men of the gay set all talking to her
At once all trying TO be extremely witty. ami al
| wishing that the others would go away But the
L
| Contessa held her own with them, making no
distinction. and keeping up the lively. empty
rafting conversation without any apparent dii'i-
culty. Pietro sat down in the circle, ana mao"
remark from time to time, to which she gen
| orally gave direct answer, until little by ittic'
| sho was talking with him alone, and the others
| began TO drop away as they always dld IN the
I courso of half an hour when Ghislcr appeared
in Nladdalena's neghborhcod. 1t was thing
norfcetly understood as q matter not even worth
| mentioning
| "Will Won get me something to d'ink?' she
said when only Splcca was left by her SIDE
| Pictro went off toward the suppcr-room. which
| WAS rather distant and dance was Just over
| and the place was crowded, il was some minutes
before he could get what he wanted ana go PACK
| TO her with it. Spicca looked at hun with an
| odd expression of something between Amusement
and sympathy as he rose and left the two to-
rethcr. and Ghisleri at once saw that something
unusual had occurred in his absence, for NADIA
lena was very pale. and her hand shook violently
| as she took the glass he brought her.
"what is the matter? ?" he asked anxiously, as
| he sat down
| "Somcthing very disagrccahe has happened,
| she answered, looking round ncrvously.
| The sofa on which they sat stood out from one
side of marble pillar, with its back to the side OF
| the room the guests crossed who went directly 10
| the ballroom, and facing the side by winch they
| went from the ballroom to the rooms beyond ana
to the supperroom for there were four doors oppp-
site each other two Of which opened into the great
| hall where the dancing was going on Mildaleha
was seated at the end of the sofa. which was
against the pillar so that person passing through
behind her might easily not notice her presence
/ PRAY tell me what it u.s." said Ghislcrl.
| just as YOU went to get me the lemonade,
heard two people talking in low voice behind
me. said Maddaena They must have stopped
first by the door, looked round afterward and
! saw them but ! do not know either of them
| some new people from one of the other
] embassies or merely foreigners here on visit.
| They spoke rather bad French There was man
/ and lady They saw you cross the room ana
| the lady asked the man who you were, ana the
| man told her, saying that he knew you Only
| by sight The lady uttered an exclamation ana
said that Won were the one man in Rome whom
| she wished to see because you had been loved bv
Won know whom | mean-I know it hurts you
! to speak of her, and l understand it, The man
| laughed and said there had been Others since,
| and that there was especially certain Marquise
| dArmi, as he called me, who was madly In love
| with YOU The most amusing part of the whole
thing concluded the man, that you were
| perfectly Indifferent to her, as everybody knew
1t was horrible. and almost tainted. Dear OLD
| Spicca went on talking, trying TO prevent me from
| hearing them 1t was just like him
| The Contessa's lip trembled. and her eyes gilt
| tered strangely as she looked at PietrO.
1T is horrible" he said In low voice. lie
| had thought that he had felt enough emotions
| during that day, but he was mistaken Even
| now there more in store for him. lie was
deeply shocked, for he guessed what she must
! have suffered.
IIorrible-ycs! But oh-can you not tell me
| il is not true? DO you not see that my heart is
| breaking?'
| "No dearest lady," he answered tcndery, try
| ING TO soothc her. /" Not one word Of 1t is true.
| How can you make yourself unhappy by thinking