The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-05
A MODERN PYGMAuON.
BY GRANT ALLEN.

| Impressive tone, "is replica or that
which was found at place called Nemi.
in Hitaly, in the sixteenth century, and
which 10 now the chief gem in the Capt.
toline Collection"
"Oh, indeed, " said the little Curate.
The Butler delivered this valuable piece
OF information with the marked air of
originality which always comes after
the five hundrsth repetition of wrote
| learnt sentence. But tbs two intelligent
| tourists in the grey tweed suits 10 whom
| he especially vouchsafed his leaLned dis
| course seemed little interested in theDying
! Gladiator. They did not even spare
! glance to the remarkable torso OF the
! Wounded Dacian," nor 10 the "Nymph
| or Diana. from Hadriansville, near
| Tivoli.n
"Hadrian's villa, think you mean,
| the mild Curate with the very clerical
| cassock suggested. lie was new from
Oxford, no ooupt, the intelligent tourist
supposed, and still retained faint traces
OF a classical education.
~ said Hadrisnsville the Butler re-
| peated, with mixed asperity aud dignity.
| His glance was withering. Had it really
| come to this, then, that ducal servant
must stoop TO handy words with the
unbeneticed clergy?
The rest of the party stared hard, as in
| duty bound, at the Nymph or Diana,
| locking asksnce, meanwhile, at the up
start Curate, who had ventured 10 correct
| His Magnifcence, the Butler. But the
two intelligent tourists in grey tweed
suits were much more occupied just then
! with the glass cases in the center, con-
! tanning the "minor hobject OF virtue in
! crystal and jewellery collected by the late
| Dock, as the Butler phrased il.
"That's a handsome vase, any way"
| IN mn m M red
sively TO the other, with New Eng land
| accent. ~ wonder what he calls it?''
That" the Buutler interpreted, in
| hi stateliest tone, ais the famous For
man Vawse from a HosCan tomb, entirely
carved out of ore solid mass Of the purest
Hamethyst.
The Builer never by any chance drop
| ped an III he knew that 10 be vulgar; but
| whenever he wished 10 be most impres-
sive, he gave an extra sspiraie by way Of
distinction to the most important word
OF the sentence in hand, which happened
| 10 be destitute of one.
The intelligent tourists glanced at one
an other silently. Their eyes met and
then fell The Curste, watching them
closely, saw at once this meant business.
"And those earrings" he asked
gently of His Magnificence, the Butler,
una Dashed by his previous rebuke in his
| thirst for info rmation. ~ hat do you
make of those bracelets and ear-rings?"
81 don't make anything OF them," the
! Butler answered in a lofty tone. "It's
net my dooty. But II you mean TO ask
what honorsrium do ladies' and gentle
men generally offer me for supplying hin
! formation"
'ENo, no. the Curate said sharply. 81
don't mean that. / mean, what are they?
What age end material! What sort of
thing do you call them?'
"Oh, | see" the Butler answered, a lit
tie surprised at the Curate's unexpected
| tone. "That 'ot there's Etruscan."
"Gold?' the little Curst9 persisted.
"Solid god,n the Butler replied.
"Bought for two hundred pounds by His
Grace's father And the intelligent
tourists eyes met again with meaning.
They went through the rest Of the gall
lery in much the same way. The little
Curate kept an eye on several gold objects
| and several precious stones; and also did
the tourists. AS they left the long hall,
with its vaulteG roof, the little Curate
turned blandly to one OF the Americans.
cit seems almost dangerous" he said, in
n mild, small voice, "to keep SO much
valuable property lying about uncared
for in what is practically an unguarded
| museum
~ guess the Duke looks after 'em
well,n the intelligent tourist remarked,
with nonchalant air, as who shog la
aay il was none Of his ousinefs.
"
replied; $50 the Butler tells me. And
yet, the mere value of the gold and
stones, as articles of commerce, must be
something considers bic.
"You bet," the intelligent tourist in
terjected, with jerk. The little Curate,
smiling, looked him aver critically.
Strange folk, these Westerners! TEen
they parted company.
The intelligent tourists were stopping
at the Dukes Arms, in the village.
Tourists often stopped there especially
Americans. Your son OF the Great bepub-
lie dearly loves a lord; the peerage
diversifes English scenery ia his eyes;
the first thing he wants TO see when
he crosses the water are the castles and
country-h houses OF our old nobility.
That is why the two intelligent tourists,
straight down from Hoxton, had come
there as Americans. You re less likely
to attract attention in that disguise, the
western accent being common ele-
ment of the situation.
But. once arrived in their own sitting
room at the snug little inn, the inteli-
gent tourists ceased to talk any longer
with a nasal twang; they dropped 'you
bet, - and didn't display the remotest
desire 10 guess or calculate. On the
contrary, they talked together with
somewhat pronounced variety OF CocKney
accent; for one OF them was Joe Stokes,
the famous criD-cracker, while ho other
was Maurice Miller, that cloverest Of
clever thieves, well-knOwn III The prOlc3-
sion as the Gentleman Burglar.
"The question is,' Mr.. Maurice Miller
remarked, in his casual way, stroking his
chin reslectively, (which of us two is
10 go in after them tonight, ana which
OF us is TO wait on the terrace outside,
and keep on eve on the watchman?'
II don't quite like the JOB myself, Joe
Stokes replied, Lighting an excellent
cigar, for he knew himself in tobacco
~ amt superstitious, Mr.. Miller, but
object 10 them stone women. They give
me the cold shivera. / don't so much
mind 'ein in bread daylight. OF course,
standing there iD rows; but alone at
night. in that long derk gallery, they'd
look sort of ghosi-like, and distract
mans attention from the work he wSs
set upon. Now, yCu an me know, it's
no use doing work where your at;en-