The Winslow mail., 1900-04-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE 0PAt. RING

ellis elninence viii await the Signor'
Donati at supper this evening"
Defaure delivered his message, received
his answer, and tripped away, his little
pages cap set jauntily on the side of his
head, and the haft of his dagger clinking
against the silver chain which held it to
his belt. As for me, my heart leaped at the
words, for felt sure my business was come,
and, summoning Jacopo, | gave him the
necessary orders to have our men in readi-
ness for IN immediate start. l then sought
St. Armande, and told him what expect
ed.
II am ready" he said, simply
Every well, then sup lightly, and await
ME in my apartments"
l turned back, and on reaching my rooms
was surprised to find had visitor await
ing me. 1t was Corte. As l have said, he
has cast aside his fantastic dress, and was
robed as a doctor. He still kept his heavy
book under his arm, and the features of
his curious scanned face, and thin, bIoodless
lips, were as pale as if he had arisen from
the dead. His eyes alone blazed with an
unnatural brillancy, but he was outwardly
calm. rf--
81 came but to see if you were safe, sig
more, after last night" he said, as he took
my hand.
'Thanks," l replied, Offering him a seat,
eve are all quite safe. Nothing happened.
The don was not there. Either he hal
changed his mind, or we were too strong
in force"
"a little of both, | should think, he said,
with thin smile, as he placed his book on
the table "Signore," he went on, "are you
not little surprised and curious to see me
as am?p ~ to- tt
'Well, Messer Corte, 1 will own to it.
But l am honestly glad that fortune has
given the wheel right turn for YOU"
cit is not fortune" he said, sit is some
thing greater. 1t is fate. No chance turn
of the wheel of a sleeping goddess. When
L fled from you, signore, ON that day." his
voice choked a little, 81 came to Rome.
Never mind how. Here great man found
me. Great men pick up little things for
their purposes sometimes. And Matthew
Corte, who is but little man, knows
things the great man does not know. IIo!
ho.' and he laughed mirthlessly.
"And that has put crowns in your purse?"
Eyes, crowns in my purse, crowns in my
purse" he repeated, and then the old mad
ness came upon him, and he rose and paced
the room. 81 could have done it last night,
made the hilt of my dagger ring against
his heart-the devil-the devil. But he is
not to die this way-hot thus-not thus.
He will die as no other man has died, and
it will come soon, very soon-Mathew
Corte swears this
He stopped suddenly, and turned to me
with the question::
''Have you ever seen mad dog die?"
No." answered, wondering what would
come next. rr. : -fs
a. stTValI NV dor ic daad -
=. 81 am sorry began, but he interrupted.
"Dead, i say. Life went from it in with
I>ings and twistings, in screams of agony
the little beast, poor little beast! Iwould
ehave ended its misery, but | wanted to sec.
l wanted to find some death so horrible that
it would pass the invention of man. And
+ lave Hound it, signore. See this toy of
a khifel This fairy's daggerl" and he held
up tiny lancet, "only a touch of it, and
q man would die as that'dog did, in writh-
>ings, i'll twistings, in screams"
l rose and put my hand on his arm, keep
ing my eyes steadily on his face.
"Corte,22 L Lsaid, e"this is not like you.- You
are not well. Here is some wine" and 1
poured him out goblet of Orvieto He
drained it at gulp, and sat with his head
,btried-in his hands. -ss. s..
As he ssat there, the scene in the lonely
hut, when | went forth an outcast from
Arezzo, came back to me, and there rose
before me the dim light Of the torch, the
mad figure of my host, and could almost
hear the pattering of the rain and the dy-
ing Kisses Of the log fire. without. Then 1
saw other things as well, and pity came
on me for the. man. before me. a sudden
thought struck me, and, acting the i'm
pulse of the moment, i spoke:
= See here CQrte!. You are i'll, you want
rest, quiet Throw off these dark thoughts,
and do what 1 say; Two miles from Cola,
in the BergamasQue, lies mall farm. 1t
Is fhine. Mine still, though mortgaged. Go
there. Ask for the Casino Saveli, and say
you have come from n, from Ugo di Sa-
veii. You know my name now, and they
| will want nothing -more. from you. Live