Cañon City record., 1902-10-02
pedestals or tables there were statues

showing II plOTentlue dTl VI tue uttcehlh
century. while others, and they were
for the most part defaced or wanting
heads and limbs. belonged to the nm
tiquities of Rome and Athens. There
was something about the dim and sof-
tened light of the chamber. the ghostly
appearance of the marbles, the grimy
vellum backs of those ancient tones
and the pleasing silence Of the place,
broken now and then by the sounds Of
revelry from the festive banquet hall,
that subdued our thoughts and made
them more reverent and filed us with
romance and sentiment, so that we
fingered there side by side in delightful
companionsiip and spoke of books and
chiyalry and love.
She had read the simple and homely
poetry OF old Antonio Pucc.. ~Villanfs
history and the tales of the Round
Table; she dotted on Petrarch and his
Laura and went into ecstasies over
Boiardo's Innamorata. Finally we be-
gan to SPEAK OF Dante. and was much
astonished to find that she held him not
at all in that esteem with which he is
now regarded by all the world.
But the 'Divina Commedia.'" said l,
sis 1t not the most grand and noble
and beautiful poem in the language"
MARRY, that can l not say she re-
piled. 1.-The reason of which is that
there be many parts Of it which l un-
derstand not"
"Thou art not alone in this matter,
madonna. In sooth. do think that it
hath some verses which the poet him
self meant little by and the meaning of
which hath never since been discov-
cred. NathIess. for every such verse or
line there have arisen twenty erudite
and solemn commentators to explain 1t.
no two of whom have ever agreed as to
its definition"
A female attendant now came into
the library and whispered to lppolita.
who at once prepared to leave me.
"Prithee, fair countess" said l..
'Ieaye me not after this cold and abb
rupt fashion, or else tell me that l may
see thee later. as I would fain have
more of thy converse and companion
ship"
"And IL return within the half
hour" she replied. with roguish look,
"and step with thee a measure OF the
courante wilt thou promise to do that
which I shall ask of thee"
Thou canst ask me nothing which
will not do" said I.
The dukes daughter left me, and as
she went she gave me over her shoul-
der, like a Partbian shot, smile of
mysterious meaning and a glance that
was almost tender from the depths of
her great dark eyes.
Thereupon rejoined Brother Am
brose. Twice or thrice In the move
ment of the saraband l had passed
him as he stood In converse, and each
time, 1t seemed to me, ] had heard him
utter the name of Prince Timoteo.
now charged him with revealing my
identity. the very thing which he had
told me should avoid.
81 did indeed" said he. Inform
these gentlemen of thy presence. but L
would have thee to know that they are
all Of thine own faction and all and
every one OF them stancb and trusty
Elevatonists. When ] impaired the
fact to them. without exception they
waxed zenlous In thine interest and
did swear each and all that they would
see thee placed upon the throne Of thy
fathers. As to betraying thee. they
would suffer themselves first to be
torn asunder by wild horses. Cad
cooks. what wouldst thou? They are
honest men. and thou mayest put thy
trust in them"
whom he had been in converse, and 1t
struck me that their appearance had
been anything but honest. In fact,
their faces. or what | could see of
them. had seemed to me most villain
ous and sinister. During the next
quarter of an hour. while was by the
side OF Brother Ambrose. he greeted
several cavaliers who passed US, and
l was enabled to judge further and
more at mine ease of the peculiar quail
ity of his associates. They all seemed
to have an underhanded and furtive
manner. their costumes were Ill fitting,
and they glanced ever behind them.
When they met. they grasped each 9th
er by the hand with a peculiar grip.
and IL they saw each other from across
the hall they signaled by putting the
thumb In the ear and moving the fin-
gers up and down.
Truly" thought l, these Elevation
lists. II Eleyationists they be, be
scurvy lot. and ! will do well to avoid
them. AS to this Brother Ambrose.
who is with me. besides being the
smoothest OF smooth shayen knaves. II
he is not also the reriest black hearted
cutthroat then am out In my reckon
ing"
Continued next week.