New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-07


Why should lie fight for her, then
But his rnanlncss rose up at tins ana siho'c HIS
cynicism ont Of the field for time. mat h''ie
lie owed NTuddalcna at least he could not do less
than defend her, at whatever cost, ana he Rhe"
well enough that he always would. As Tor HIS
wish that she might know il, that was nothing but
his own dctestabc vanity For his own part, II"
wished with all his heart that the next morning
might end his existence. lie had never valued
lis life very highly and of late it had been so
little 10 his taste that he was more than ready
to part with il. even violently. The fntirc did
not appall him. although. strangely enough, he
was very far from being an unbeliever, ana hah
been brought to consider sudden END, In mortal
sin, as the most horrible ana irreparabe OF mis-
fortunes To lin. in his experience OF himself,
no imaginable suffering could be worse than IN"
self-doubt the sclf-contcmpt and the sclf-hatred
which had often tormcntcd him during the
past years IL he were 10 be punished for his
misdeeds with the same torture, even though n
were TO be nevcr-ending. at least he should bear
the pain Of IL alone. such rs it was, without the
necessity for hiding it and for going through the
daily mummery of life with an Indifferent face.
And in that state there would be no more tcmpta-
ton of the kind he feared. What he had done
ND to the hour Of death would close the chronicle
lie was used to such rclncments of cruelty as
perditon could threaten him with, for he had
practiscd them upon his own heart.
So the man "who did not care stood watching
the ball, and people onvied him his successes, and
his past and present happiness, and all that he
had enjoyed in his thrcc-and-thirty years of life
little dreaming Of what was even then passing
in his thoughts, still less that ho waiting
for the message which should inform him of the
place and hour fixed for cncountering th" man
who most hated him in the world. AMI who had
once before valnly attempted 10 take his life.
At the other end of the great hall the Cont'sS1
DELI Arni had paused in her waltz to take breath,
and found herself next to Donna Maria Boo
capaduli.
you have not heard the news" said the latter
in low voice, bending toward Maddalena, and
holding up her fan before her face. We have
all been dining at Casa San Giacinto, sixteen q;
us besides thcmsclvcs-the two Campo1onco. orr
selves, Petrasanta-evcr so many OF US. Ghislcri
was there, next to M, and thcrr was discussion
about the evil eye. because Pictrasanta broke
glass Just as he uttered the namn of the lady we
do not mcntion-you know whicI-Ghislcri's
friend And then, do not know how II was, nat
Ghslpri and tampOdOncO cOntra1irtrd each other
about If, because CampodoncO said she was a
icttarice and Ghislcri said sh" was not you know.
After dinner the two went and talked in whisp re-
at tie other end Of the big room. and Ghiser
looked CHASTITY white. and Campodonico was SO
angry that his eyes like Goals. A few min
utcs later they both went away in great hurry
CampodOnico LEFT his wife there. l. ctrtany
looks az though there were to be- a duel .o-morrow
You know how they hate each other, and how they
fought long ago about that wonderful Princess
Corlconc who died. | can remember seeing Err
before ! was married.
The Contcssa listened TO the end. She couli
not have grown palcr than she was on that cvrA-
ing, but while Donna Maria was sPcakn III"
shadows dccprncd almost TO black under her eyes
and the veins in her throat swccd and thrObbri
that they hurt her. She succeeded ir control
Ling all Other outward sians OF emo, >. h9wrT" ",
Il hardly believe that those two will ight, sii
sai1. BIT. of course, they may. We shall
probably know tomorrow.
Making little sign TO her partner. she bean
TO dance with him again, and continued to walt
until the musi ceased few minutes later Sh"
STOPPED near the door where Ghislcri was standing,
and locked at him. He immediately came 70 hoy
side. and she left the man she had been dancing
with and moved away with Pietro toward a dis
tant room, not speaking on tho way. They sat
down together in quiet corner, and ne saw that
she was very much moved and probably very
angry with him.
Twill Yen please tell mo the truth ?' she said:
in q hard voice | have something to ask you.'
Yes. ] always do" he answered
lis it trlc that thcr, is a quarrel between You
and Don Ganforte Gamp,odcnicof' -,
"Ycs-it is true" replied Ghisleri, after hest
tatng few seconds.
And that you had discussion with him about
Lady Herbert at the san tiiacintos dinner table?
Yes" admitted Ghisleri, who saw that his
worst fears were about TO be realized:
Are YOU going TO fight ?" asked Maddalcna, in
q metallic tone
Yes We arr going to fight"
so you have already forgotten what Won prom
ised mo this afternoon You sal You would do all
a man could do 10 avoid a quarrcl-for my sake
Six hours hal no. passed before yOu had broken
your word. That is the sort Of faith you keep
with me-
Pictro Ghislcli began to think that his misfor
tunes would never end. For some time he sat in
silence. staring before him. Should be- tell her
the whole story? Should he 60 over the abomi-
rabc scene with Campodonico. and tell her al the
atrocious insults he had patiently borne for B!anci
seemed to set him free from his obligation to the
dead woman? He reflected that IL wod sound
extremely theatrical and perhaps improbable in
her ears. for she distrnstcd him enough already.
Tesides if she believed him, to tell her would only
he TO afford his own vanity base satisfaction.
his character il was not unnatural.
al have kept my word" he said at last. I" for
have borne all that a man can bear to avoid this
quarrel.
II am sorry You should he able to bear so
little for me-" answered Maddalcna, her voice as
hard as ever.
all If you had heard what passed You would
probably now say that am right.
lyon always take shelter behind assertions of
that kind. know il is Of no usr 10 ask YOU TO
tell il you would have told it TO me already. No
one can conceal fact You can and vet never BE-
caught in n downright falsrhoo1. Half an hour
400. when we were sitting in that other room. YOU
knew lust ~ we'll as you do now that yon were
to fight tomorrow. and you had not the slightest
intention Of telling me.
Not the slightest Men do not talk about such
thing 1t is not in good taste. and not particu-
larly honorable in nv opinion
GOOD taste and honor" exclaimed the Con-
tessa. scornfully. "You talk though We were
strangers! Indeed. think we are coming to that
as fast can
IL trust not"
"The phrase again. What sh0nd You say. after
all? You must say something when ! pat the
matter plainly. 1t would not be in good taste If
Won did no. contradict me WHEN tell YOU that
hans Won do not even think il honorable iou ara
very consi;lcrate and am immensely grateful
Perhaps YOU are thinking, too. that il wonld BE-
moro decent, and in better taste on my part, 10
let You 90. now that I have discovered thc truth
am almost inclined 10 think 80. | have seen il