The Winslow mail., 1900-03-08
CHAPTER XI.
THE LETTER TO D'AMBo1sE.

] could have thrown my cap over the
housetops, could have shouted for Joy, as
! saw the coins spread out before me- |
stopped over them, holding the candle aloft
in one hand, whilst / ran the fingers of the
other through The clinking metal. There
they lay! broad, shining pieces of silver,
fecked, here and again, with the mellower
light of gold. At one stroke, when my luck
was apparently at its lowest ebb, it had
turned again, and was coming up in high
tide Not only this, l was to go to Rome,
the very place of all others where | was like
ly to meet D'Entrangnes; and l breathed
an impious prayer that good angels might
see him come to no hurt until we met, and
even as l prayed the vision of that dying
woman who forgave with her last breath
came before me. My hand shook so that |
could barely hold the candle, and, turning
away, l placed it on the table and went up
to nv window. Midnight was long past and
we were touching the morning. The only
sound that broke the stiffness was the dis
tant clang of the martinello, keeping up its
insistent beat; but the wind was from me,
and the chime came softened to my ears.
Already the cast was whitening, and the
moon was sinking to rest All the old half
formed resolutions l had made to let my
enemy's crime pass, to leave vengeance in
the hands Of God, came up and fought with
the fierce desire that the apparent oppor-
tunty OF meeting D'Entrangues again had
famed into life. What had not that man
done to me? How could forgive? We are
all not framed in the same way. A tender
woman might condone what man would
never pass over. Why should l not be the
instrument of Gods punishment on that
man? Without Him nothing was possible,
and if L succeeded in killing D'Entrangues
would it not mean that the deed had His
sanction? On the other hand, there were
the words of Savonarola's S text, and the for
giveness 1 had seen with mine own eyes.
Tossed by doubt, now resolved now waver-
ing-at one time certain | was right to be
my own law, at another encompassed by a
terrible fear of sln-l did what all men have
to do at some time or other; | sank down on
my knees and wrestled with the temptation.
l do not know what words of prayer [ used,
or how long l was there; but can say this,
that when | rose my mind was at rest, and
l had won fight with myself. l would leave
D'Entrangues TO the justice of God. And
for my honor? l would win it back again,
not in distant lands, but here-here, where
it was taken from me, and then-what fool
| was! When my shield was white once
old castle in the Sabine Hills, and there,
perhaps-ohl l dreamed mad things when
that peace fell upon me. But there was such
a prosaic matter as sleep, and had work
for the morrow, so pulled myself together,
and with a mind more comfortable than for
many day swept the coins into the lag,
saw again to the fastening of the door, and,
seeking my bed, slept dreamful sleep until
aroused by the cooling of my friends, the
pigeons. 1t was with very different air
that l went down the stairs that morning,
and l realized, from contrast, how brave
heart full purse can make. Imeant to have
paid Ceci at once, but he was not in his of
fee, so l breakfasted in a leisurely manner
at the sign of the Double Florin and then
returned.
As soon as I reached the Albizzi Palace, I
went straight to Ceci's Office, and found him