The record-union., 1896-02-15

,
Nicoloi I cannot bear to tell thee the
word; he has promised me at Candle
mas
Il feared TO hear it, but in this city
of republicans. mon ami, name buys
much. Girolamo was a. Capello, great
man among the Serenissima; he had
place, position, all that father may
seek in a new son. Why, then, should
not Orio prefer this man for his daugh-
ter before the glass maker, who had
naught but the blunt speech and the
willing hands? Nay, knew that he
must; and I trembled for little Christ
inc.
Pretty child said I, raising her up
to me, there are two months to Candle
mas. Who can say what two months
may bring? And every day thou shalt
see Paolo in the shop thou lowest, /
promise thee
And thou wilt save Paolo's nfe?'
she asked.
Il laughed at her childish fancies.
Why should Paolo have need of
me?' cried I.
Because Girolamo has sworn to kill
him. Q, dear Nicolo thou knowest what
him. Paolo will surely die
Little Christine said I, 'dost thou
then forget that thy lover has stood be-
fore me, the son of Andrea? Dost thou
forget that I shaped the blade he wears?
There is no finer in Venice; no quicker
eye than Paolo's nor truer hand Who
shall kill him, then? Not Giralomo, the
horse; Girolamo, the buffoon. Body of
Racchus, L would worst him with a
cane
MY railery comforted her, but upon
the next day, Paolo being away at Tor
cello, as she said, she was not with me
at my forge. and at sunset, the light
being red upon the sails of ships and the
whole lake shining as with a tide of
blood, she called me while I was yet a
long way from my house, and her dis
tress was made plain to all that passed
by.
Cousin Nicoloi' was her cry, dear
cousin, they have killed him. Oh Pa
olo, he is dead; / have seen him. He is
dead in the garden of Manin, the
painter. They took him there that they
might kill him. 1 have seen his bleed
ing body. Nicolo, thou nearest me; thou
art my friend. Nicolo, thou wilt not let
him die
With such wild words in her mouth
she continued to run to and fro upon
the riva before my garden, but I, think
ing that she had walked from some fe-
verish dream. made no answer until I
had drawn her to the shelter of the
little arbor, and there I sat her down
and began to question her.
christine said I, what dream is
this? Thou sayest that they have
killed him?'
''She stif1ed her tears and looked up
to me with a face very worn and full of
suffering.
"Oh, dear Nicolo it is the truth; I
have seen him with my own eyes. He
went there at sunset; I watched him
from my garden window. An hour ago
garden gate and 1 saw him at Giralomo's
feet. He is dead. oh, God help me, he
is dead
''She spoke the words, and such tor
rent of weeping came upon her that l
troubled her with no more questioning,
but carried her to my gondola which
lay still at the steps. 1t was then
quite dark, yet / feared so much to find
the story as she had told it to me that
waited for no lantern, but bade my
Doatman make straight for the house of
Nlanin, which lies near by the canal
IF Zitelle. And we had come up to the
riva of the garden before had begun to
think in what way the cunning swords
man Paolo had fallen before the blum
1erer by what means he had been lured
to the nest of his enemies.
"At the sight of the bronze gates of
Manin's house, through the bars of
which the leafy walks and avenues of
the garden were plain to our view, lit
tie Christine started up from her weep
ing and took my hand in hers.
'Seest thou the lantern swinging be-
meath the great lime tree, Nicolo? 1t
was there he lay; l saw his body upon
the grass. oh, my tears blind me-
pray God thou dreamest, child
said /; and with this I sprang from the
beat and went up to the gate. There
was no sign of any lamp then lit in the
house, nor of any persons occupying it;
indeed, it was cold with stiffness. and
but for the one lantern set upon the
bench it had been without any token of
human presence. Nor could l for long
time get any answer tony knocking-no
until l had rung twice the great bell
behind the pillars and heard hundred
echoes over the water. At the last
crone with a very yellow face and
wicked eyes came hobbling from the
garden; and when she had held up her
lamp that she might see my face, she
cried:
"'Chi KEEP
"Amici,' said I; and that she might
not misunderstood me / added, and if
you do not open the gate quickly, good
dame, 1 will surely blow your brains
out
"She gave harsh little laugh and put
down her light.
"'Thou art Nicoloi Well I know thee
cackled she: and he was one of thine!
Madonna mia, that thou shouldst find
me with his blood upon my hand!'
"She opened the gate with this harsh
croak of apology, and pushed by her,
snatching the lamp from her hands.
f" Where are your masters?' / asked,
as she fawned before me, the flicker of
the yellow rays strong upon the cracked
face.
my masters? What are they to
thee? Belize they seek a priest, Nicolo;
who can say? Thou wouldst not have
thy friend want shrift-one Of thine
own, too?'
"The malice of the cfoaking hag was
beyond concealment. Bidding her to be
silent, I crossed the garden to the grassy
knoll beneath the lime tree; and SO still
was it there, so dark, that for a minute
| believed Christine's message to be
phantom of her dreams. But when I
had cast an aureola of light upon the
soft carpet of the grass, I found, not at