The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-10-25


rhe had enduredl After all I had health,
strength, and the world was wide. Why
waste my time in running after the morbid
shadow Of revenge! II got il, would IL sat
isfy? Would Il heal my woundsl Thinking
in this way, called 10 mind a sermon Of the
Prior Of ST. Mark's-I heard when last in
Florence. | came in the suite Of Paolo Vi
tell az Citta del CASTILLO, and at the time
Savonarola had left the Duomo, and was
preaching at st. Marks. Ills subject was
forgiveness, and his text, Vengeance is
mine. saith the Lord" came back to me
with a vivid force. rose from my scat and
paced the room, my whole soul was on the
cross; had all but resolved TO forcgo my
scheme Of revenge, when heard a knock at
the door. At first | did not answer. but 1t
was repeated.
Come in," | cried, and Ceci entered In
the state in which was, had half mind
to bid him beeone there and then, aud only
controlled myself with an effort. | could
see, however, that, in his way, he had formed
a friendly feeling towards me, and, remem
bering my plans forced myself TO greet him
with .civlity, and offering him n scat began
the conversation.
THAT was a strange finish 10 the Con
faloniere's speech" | SAID, in allusion TO the
death Of the man at the hands of the mob.
"lle was a fool and deserved to de"
do you know his name!"
Ceci hesitated for a moment, and saw he
was lying when he said NO"
II gather" | added, that you are of the
Bigi. the party that favors the return of the
Medici."
"Signore, spoke words in my excitement
that may well be buried An old tongue like
mine should have known to be still; but it IL
not that have come to speak Of. DO you
know we have a death in the house!"
That would be no new thing to you"
True" he said, stroking his white beard,
"they die here like rats in their holes"
II suppose so; but as a matter Of fact
did know there was a death, and very sad
one. know Mathew Corte. but how have
you found out so soong'
ut is simple. came, back but. a few min
utes ago, and although it was late, thought
l might call for the rent of the room Corte
occupies, as he has not paid anything as yet
When | came in, Corte simply pointed to the
body OF his daughter, that was all the reply
] got She was very III when she came;
wonder indeed she lived 80 long OF course.
did not press him. and il it is loss, Messcr
Nobili is rich enough to bear this But it is
dreadful the way these people owe"
WINGED little, thinking Of my own di.
ninished purse, and Ceci continued Il
thought would come and see you as went
down. 1t is on my way. The body must lie
removed tomorrow"
you will find some difficulty in pcrsuad-
ing him 70 give it a Christian burial"
How! Is he hereto, or a pagan-if So"
IL did not say that. believe the MAJ TO
be mad"
81 will see him tomorrow" said Ceci II
think he will yield to reason Poor child"
lie went out, and down the stairs with the
step Of young man, and | marveled at the
contradictory nature, which could show the
kindness it had towards affection, and at the
same time coldly plan to remove fellow
creature from the world, as one removes
bud from a tree, with a touch of the knife.
But Ceci's words had also reminded me again
of Corte's need stood at the door listen
ing until his footsteps died away, and knew
he was gone for the night. Then pulled
out my purse, and looked at its contents;
there were two gold crowns left, and few
pauls. hesitated for little, but the need
of the man upstairs was greater than mine.
Drawing of my boots so that there might be
no sound, | stole up softly, like thief. and
gained the landing of Corte's room. The
door was partly open, and | stood before it
for a short while, half afraid to enter
Plucking up heart, crept in gently. The
dead girl lay with her hands crossed on her
bosom, still as il cut out of marble, and on
her face was fixed a sad little smile. Corte
sat on a stool near the table; his head was
buried between his hands, and he had given
way to silent despair The dog lay asleep
in corner. | meant to have proffered the
gold / had with me, as a loan TO Corte, but
/ did not dare to address him in his grief
So placing the coins quietly on the table in
such a manner that when he raised his head
he must see them, withdrew as noiselessly
as i came, and reached my room without at
tracing any attention. Ii was not until the
small hours of the morning that sought my
couch, for my mind kept working on the
thoughts which agitated me after witnessing
the death of Corte's daughter. At the same
time, | was able to see that this considera-
tiOn of the suffering of others was of the
greatest benefit to me. Ii took me out of
myself. Ii showed me that my own were
not the only sorrows in the world, and that
there might yet be others who had reached
a deep OF misery as far below that of Corte
as his was below mine. This led me on TO
my own position, and | began TO
think there was some mysterious power
that was preventing me carrying out my
plan Of reprisal against DEntrangues.
had come to Florence red-hot on his track
At our very first meeting he had won the
hazard, and the long illness that followed
gave him chance to put distance between
us; then my resources diminished whilst yet
nothing was done; then came the doubts
Rs TO whether | was justified in my action;
and finally, and not least, there was in me
desire to see Angola, as ! called
her TO myself, once again. | was pulled by
different strings. There was what called
urging me 20 give up my schemes
Of revenge; there was the wild animal in me,
telling me TO go on; there was feeling to-
wards a woman, which had honestly never
experienced before, which, despite my strug-
sles against its apparently hopeless folly,
was entirely overmastering me, until did
not know which way TO turn, and 10 escape
from 1t all decided to leave Florence at
once, and then altered my mind again, when
thought OF the plot | wished to thwart,
ind determined 10 make last effort TO do
this, and, il possible, TO see Angola once
more before left. At last went to sleep,
waking very late in the morning So sound
was my slumber that when | awoke !
thought at first that the events Of the night |
we're nothing more than dream; but they
soon forced themselves on me in their real
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