Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-11-04

likely ceased to be amorous after the
first months OF marriage"
| burst out laughing, you are right
Mancini." | said: and even if the
husbands are fools enough to con.
tinue their gallantries they deserve &c
be d~uped-and they generally are,
Come, amicoi" | added. turning tc
Ferrai, those are your own senti-
ments-you have often declared them
to me"
He smiled uncomfortably. and his
brows contracted. ! could easily per-
ceiVe that he was annoyed. To
change the tone of the conversation,
| gave a signal for the music to re-
commence, and instantly the melody
of a slow, voluptuous Hungarian
waltz-measure floated through the
room. The dinner was now fairly on
It's way; the appetites of my guests
Were stimulated and tempted by the
choicest and most sayory yiands, pre-
pared with all the taste and intelli-
gence a tirst-rate chef can bestow Gu
his work. and good wine flowed freely.
Nincenzo. obediently following my
instructions, stood behind my chair,
and seldom moved except to refill
Ferrari's glass, and occasionally &C
prefer some fresh vintage TO the Duke
di Marina. He, however, was an
abstemious and careful man, and fol
lowed the good example shown by the
wisest Italians, who never mix their
wines. He remained faithful 10 the
first beverage he had selected speci-
ally fine Chant, of which he partook
freely without its causing the slightest
flush to appear on his pale aristocra-
tic features. It's warm and mellow fla
vor did but brighten his eyes and
loosen his tongue, inasmuch that he
became almost as elegant a talker as
the Marchese Gualdro. This latter
who scarce had a scudo to call his W
and who dined sumptuously every day
at other peoples expense for the sake
of the pleasure his company afforded
was by this time entertaining every
one near him by the most sparkling
stories and witty pleasantries
lllt httt ilINAt NV NNe'' "N 'HN
various courses We're served; shouts
of laughter frequently interrupted the
loud buzz Of conversation. mingling
with the cliukiug of glasses and chat
tering of porcelain Every now and
then might be heard the smooth voice
of Captain Freccia rolling out his
favorite oaths with the sorority and
expression of a primo tenore; some.
times the elegant French of the Mar
: uuis d A%yencourt, with his high, sing
song Partisan accent, rang out above
. the voices of the others; and again
: the choice Tuscan OF the poet Luciano
Salustri rolled forth in melodious
cadence as though he were chanting
lines from Dante or Arioeto, instead
of talking lightly ON indifferent mat
ters | accepted my share in the uni
I versal hilarity, though | principally
divided my conversation between
Ferrari and the duke, paying to both
but specially to Ferari. that absolute
attention which is the greatest compli-
: ment a host can bestow on those
J whom he undertakes to entertain.
I We had reached that stage of the
; banquet when the game was about &c
. be served-the invisible choir of boys
{ voices had just completed an enchant.
; ing ~stornello with an accompaniment
OF mandolins-when a Stiffness
J strange and unaccountable, fell upon
. the company pause-an ominous
! hush, as though some person supreme
: ia authority had suddenly entered the
, room and commanded "Silonce!' NJ
y che seemed disposed TO speak or tc
move, the very footsteps Of the wait.
ers were muffed in the velvet pile oi
the carpets-no sound was heard but
{ the measured plash of the fountain
that played among the terms aut
towers The moon, shining f~rostily
white through the one uncurtained
window, cast a long pale green ray
like the extended arm of an appealing
ghost, against one side Of the velvet
hangings-a spectral effect which was
~heightend by the contrast of the gar.
I Eish glitter of the waxen t2pers, Each
man looked at the other with a sort
9 VI bhiplilbi Alblt tiIlbdi ld"a liltDAt hiI
Q somehow, though ] moved my lips IN
an endeavor to speak and thus breat
q the spell, ] was at a loss and coulC
tird no language suitable to the mo-
ment. Ferrai toyed with his wine.
glass mechanically the duke appeared
k absorbed in arranging the crumbs be
> side his plate into little m%ethodical
E patterns; the stiffness seemed TO last
c so long that it was like a suffocatine
8 heaviness in the air. Suddenly Vim
cenzo, In his office Of chief butler
drew the cork Of a champagne-bottle
e with a ud-sounding pop, We ell
a started as though a pistol had been
fired in our ears. and the Marchese
& Gualdro burst ont laughing.
"Corpo di Bacco!" he cried. "At
! last you have awakened from sleep,
G Were you all struck dumb, amlci, that
you stared at the table-cloth 80 per-
I sistently and with such admirable