New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-18
PIETRO GHISLERI.
by F. MARION CRAWFORD.
Author Of ''Saracinesca," The Three Faes" etc.
Copyright, 1892. BY Macmillan 4

Copyright, 1892. BY Macmillan e
CHAPTER XIV
As Ghisleri had anticipated, Adele kept up a
lively correspondence with HIM for some time.
All her letters were duly filed by Ubadini, who
took certified copies Of Pictro's replies, but did
not mention what he himself had done in the
matter Adele bargained sharply until Ghisleri
wrote to her as plainly as he well could that the
manuscript not TO be had for less than the
sum he had repeatedly named, and that he could
do nothing more for her. Thereupon she an
swered that she would consider the matter and
did not write again. Pietro, after waiting sew
eral days, left Rome again, and returned 10 Zorro
de Ghislerl, glad TO be relieved at last from the
irksome and dangerous task Of writing concise
and lawyerliAe communications about a subject
which did not interest him at all.
Meanwhile Adele had been through a series of
emotions of which Pietro knew nothing and which
very nearly drove her to increasing her daily doses
of morphine again. On receiving Ubaldns very
respectful and Straightforward letter she had
felt that she saved at last, though il definite
~ destroyed the illusion by which she had so
long persuaded herself that the confession was
still in the oubliette al Gcrano. Without much
hesitation she wrote to Ubaldini. and laid a bank
note for 500 francs in the folded sheet She
begged him to send a special messenger with the
sealed packet to Castol Savcllo. and requested
him. in spite OF his protest 10 accept the inclo>ed
sum TO cover expenses.
During fortycight hours she enjoyed to tho
full the anticipation Of at last getting back the
letter which had cost her such terrible anxiety at
various times during the last two years and a
half Then came Ubadn's answer. though when
she opened it she had idea that il was from
linn. He had made his clerk both write and sign
the fair copy of the first letter which had been
written on paper not stamped with an address.
He now wrote with his own hand upon the paper
he kept for business correspondence. upon which,,
of course. the address printed There was
consequently not the slightest rc~cmhllnce be
tween the two letters. BIT Adele was not pre-
pared for the contents Tic first thing She noticed
was her bank note carefully pinned inside the
sheet Even the form Of addressing her was not
the same. and the employed was the cor
rect one. the Savelli being one Of the families in
which the title of Prince and Princess belongs in
discriminatory TO all the children, and consequent
~ to the wives of all the sons The letter was as
follows
signora Principcssa II have the honor TO ac-
knowledge the receipt OF communication from Your
Excellency, In which you request me 10 send GER
tain sealed packet to Castel Saveo by special mes
senger, and inclosing bank note for 500 francs
(Bsnca Romano s. 32.O945) which return herewith.
! take the occasion 10 say that l know nothing
whatever Of the sealed packet referred to- and beg
to suggest that Your Exceency may have accidentally
addressed the letter 10 me instead OF to some other
person, perhaps In using directory. II, however.
II was written In answer 10 one supposed TO have
been indited 10 you by me. the letter must have
been composed and sent by designing person in
the hope Of intercepting the reply and gaining pos
session OF the money, which glad TO be able 10
send back 10 rs original owner Believe me- slgnora
Pnndpessa, Your Excellency's most obedient,
RINALDO UBALDINI.
The shock almost more than Adele could
bear. and the room reeled with her as she comprc-
hended what had happened. so far as she was
able to understand it ALL The truth did not
strike her. however What she believed was
what the lawyer suggested, that some person had
played a trick on her, and had made use Of
Cbaldini's name and address in the hope o.. get
ting the money he or she naturally expected tina,
she would send compensation for such an i'm
portant service. The hardest 10 endure was the
disappointment Of finding that she was not 10 have
the confession after all The point proved Wa.
that whether il was still in the Oubette or had
been found aud carried off, there in either
case at least one person at large who knew it
listed and who knew that the contents would be
greatly to her disadvantage if known And il
one person knew it. she argued, all Rome might
be acquainted with the story, and probably was
But the comforting conviction that the letter
was still safe at Gerano did not return. There Was
tone about the first communication disclancd
by Ubaldini which forced upon her the belief that
tho writer knew everything, and could ruin her
at moments notice.
What Ubaldini gained was the certainty that
the story which Ghsleri described as current Cos
sip was fact. and a very serious one. He hal
played detective instead Of lawyer. and he had
been very successful. He knew also that as he
.o1...,
Ghisleri, and had returned Adele's money, no OBJ
lection could. strictly speaking, be made To the
stratagem, however il might be looked upon by
gentlemen and men of the world. like Ghislerl
himself But Ubadni a lawyer, and it was
not his business TO consider what the fine world
would think of his doings. He filed Adele's let
ter with the copies OF his own.
In the course Of a few days Adele who was all
the time carrying on her correspondence with
Pietro, gathered some hope from the latters
swers She had suspicion that he might keep
all the notes he received from her. and after the
first she was as careful to mention the manu-
script except as 1.-The confession" as he. his
part. was always 10 write out its title in full 1t
struck her, however. that man playing such
mart A she wished % have il thought that he was
nlavinc would naturally use some such means for
making his letters seem commonplace il they should
fall into the wrong hands. and IL would be easy
TO persuade her friends that the autobiographic
writings of Isabella Montevarchi meant Adele
Savelis confession, by common consent, though
she herself had not taken the trouble 10 Use such
a long title more than once. The thought elated
her and c0mforted her in measure for tie dis
appointment she had suffered. and which had
shaken her nerves severely
She now spent much timc in going over the cor
rcspondcnce, weighing each word In the attempt
10 establish its exact value il regarded from the
point Of view OF systematic attempt to eNtor'
money With a relative GOODNESS which would not
have disgraccd strong man. and which showed
how far she had recovered control Of herself by
diminishing the doses Of morphine. che set Ia
srorlr 70 nut her case fnnpfler ON the snnnosfinn