The Washington times., 1895-03-10
and Count Antonio.

You will BE- taken" said she, and she
gazed at him with timid, admiTing eyes
Il had rather a thousand times lose the
jewels than that you should run into danger
my lord. For L owe to you liberty, and
perhaps life
Il VIII leave Tonmasino to guard you
and ride at once, and Antonio rose TO his
feet, smiling at her for her foolish fears
, Then a thing that seemed strange hap
pened. For Antonio gave a sudden cry of
pain. And, behold, he had set his foot on the
point of a dagger that was on the ground
near To the Lady Venusta, and the dagger
ran deep into his foot, for il was resting on
stone, and the point sloped upward, so that
ne trod full and with all his weight on the
point; and he sank back on the ground with
the dagger in his foot How came the
dagger there? How came it to be resting
against the stone? None could tell then
though it seems plain TO him that considers
now None then thought that the lady who
lied 10 Antonio as though he were her lover,
and layished tears ard cries on him, had
placed il there. Nor that honest Luigi, who
made such moan Of his carelesSneSs in drop
ping his poniard, had taken more pains over
the losing of his weapon than most men do
over the preservation of theirs Luigi
cursed himself and the lady cursed fate
And Count Antonio consoled both of them
saying that the wound would soon be weE ;,
ana lhat lt was too light matter fer lady
TO dim her bright eyes for the Sa Ike OF it,
Yet light as the matter was it was enough
for Venusta's purpose and for the scheme of
Duke Valentine. For Count Antonio could
neither mount his horse nor 90 afoot TO
Venusta's house in Rilano and if the jewels
were to be saved and the lady's tears dried
(mightily, she declared, with pretty self
reproach, was she ashamed to think of the
jewels beside Antonio's foot, but yet they
nnnr m hnr hon Tom acfvn ,,,ct
go in his place TO Rilano
And take all save Bena and two more"
said Antonio. For the duke will not come
here if he goes to Rilano.'
- said Bena, lam neither nurse nor
physician nor woman. Let tMaTtolostay-he
says there is already too much blood on
his conscience-and let me go, for there is
not as much as / could bear on mine, and
maybe we shall have a chance of an encoun-
ter with the foreguard of the duke
But Venusta said to Antonio:
Let both of these men go and let Luigi
stay. for he is a Cleverfeil and viii adm
in tending your wound"
$50 he it," said Antonio. "Let Luigi
and the two youngest stay and do the rest
OF you 20 and return as speedily as you
may. And the Lady Venusta shall, of her
great goodness, dress my wound. which
pains me more than such a trifle should"
Thus the whole band, saving Luigi and
two youths, rode off early in the morning
with Tommasino, their intent being TO be
at Rilano and back from it again before
the duke came thither from tie city; and
Venusta sent no message TO the duke, see
ing that all had fallen out most prosper
ously, as it had been arranged between
them Forthe duke was not in truth minded
TO 20 at all TO Rilano; but at earliest dawn,
before Tommasino had set forth, the Lord
Lorenzoleftthecit CITY with ahundred pikemen.
More be would nottake, fearing TO he delayed
IL bis troop was too large, and made great
circuit, avoiding Rilaro and the country
adjacent to it. So that by midday Tom
masinO was come with thirty and four
men (the whole strength of the band eX-
cept the three with Antoniol to Rilano, and,
meeting with no resistance, entered We
nusta' 5 house and took all that was precious
tapestries and the choicest of the furnish
ings; and then, having RECALLED themselves
with good cheer. started in the afternoon
to ride back to the cave, Tommasino and
Bena grumbling to one another because
they had chance on no fighting, but not
daring to tarry by reason of Antonio's
orders
But their lamentations were without need,
for when they came to the pass of Mount
Ag=ino. there. at the entrance of the road
which led to the cave by the side ofthe river,
under the lieutenant OF the guard Thus
skIlfuIly had the Lord Lorenzo performed
his duty and cut off Tommasino and his