Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-09
MARIE CORELLI.
Continued.


tense desire to speak.
Ferrari laughed, as he held out his
glass for more wine.
Here is old Giacomo," he said.
nodding to him lightly. HE remem-
bers both the Romanis-ask him his
opinion of Fabio-he worshiped his
aster"
| turned to my servant, and with a
benignant air addressed him:
Your face is not familiar to me. nv
friend" I said. Perhaps you were
not here when / visited the elder
Count Romaai?"
No, eccellenza," replied Giacomo,
rubbing his withered hands nervously
together, and speaking with a sort of
suppressed Aagerness, 81 came into
my lords service only a year before the
countess died. mean the mother of
the young count
All! then [ missed making your
acquaintance. I said, kindly, plying
the poor old fellow, as | noticed how
ing accents. My wifes delicate brows
broken he looked. you knew the last
count from childhood them"
Il did, eccellenza!" And his bleared
eyes roved over me with sort of
alarmed inquiry.
You loved him well?" I said, COM
pcsedly, observing him with embar-
rassment
Eccellenza, | never wish to serve
better master. He was goodness it
self-a fine, handsome, generous lad
the saints have his soul in their keen
ing! Though sometimes l cannot be-
lieve he is dead--my old heart almost
broke when | heard it. | have never
been the same since-my lady will
tell you so-she is Otter displeased
with me-
And he looked Wistfully at her: there
was a note of pleading in his hesitat-
ing accents. My wifes delicate broy,s
drew together in a frown; a frown
that l had once thought came FROM
mere petulance, but which | was now
inclined to accept as a sign of temper.
Yes, indeed, Giacomo," she said. in
hard tones altogether unlike her usual
musical voice. "'You are growing SO
forgetful that it is positively annoy
lLg You know I have often to tell
you the same thing several times
One command ought to be sufficient
for you"
Giacomo passed his hand over his !
forehead in a troubled way, sighed. |
and was silent Then, as if suddenly |
recollecting his duty, he refilled nv
glass and shrinking aside, resumed
his former position behind my chair.
The conversation now turned on
desultory and Indifferent matters. I !
knew my wife was an excellent talker. |
but on that particular evening think |
she surpassed herself She had re- |
solved to fascinate me, that I saw at
once, and she spared no pains to |
succeed in her ambition. Graceful |
sallies, witty bonmots tipped with the !
pungent sparkle of satire, gay stories |
we'll and briskly told, all came easily |
from her lips, so that though I knew |
her so well. she almost surprised me |
by her variety and fuency. Yet this !
gift of good conversation in a woman |
is ant to mislead the Judgment of those !
who listen, for it is seldom the result |
of thought, and still more seldom is
it proof of intellectual capacity. A
woman talks as a brook babbles;
Pleasantly, but without depth. Her
information is generally of the most /
surface kind-she skins the cream off |
each item of news and serves it up
to you in her own fashion, caring little
w7Hlt her IL no fho
And the more vivacously she talks. the
more likely she is to be dangerously
insincere and cold-hearted, for the
very sharpness of her wit is apt to
spoil the more delicate perceptions of |
her nature. Show me brilliant |
woman noted for turning an epigram
or pointing a satire, and l will show
you creature whose life is a mas
querade, full of vanity, sensuality and |
pride. The man who marries such a
one must be content to take the second |
place in his household, and play the |
character of the hen-pecked husband |
with what meekness he best may. An
swer me, We long suffering spouses of |
society women" how much would |
JOo SA'S " WIN belCh yOul IlSCuOLl
and self-respect? to be able to hold |
your head up unabashed before your |
own servants? to feel that you can |
actually give an order without its be- |
ing instantly countermanded? All my |
poor friends! millions will not pur- |
chase you such joy; as long as your |
fascinating fair ones are like Caesars |
wife "above suspicion" (and they are !
generally prudent managers), so long |
must you dance in their chains like |
the good-natured clumsy bears that |
you are only giving vent to a growl |
now and then; a growl which at best |
only excites ridicule. My wife was of
the true world worldly; never had
seen her real character so plainly as
now, when she eXerted herself to en-
terrain and charm me. I had thought
her spirituelle, ethereal, angelic! never
vas there less of an angel than she!
While she talked, l was quick to OBJ
serve the changes on Ferraris counte-
nance. He became more silent and
sullen as her brightness and cordially
increased. 1 would not appear aware
of the growing stiffness in his de-
meanor; | continued to draw him into
the conversation, forcing him to give
opinions on various subjects connected
with the art of which he was profess