The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-06
(Continued.l

from these pages, that he has runvsome
risk OF being forgotten altogether.
II is the necessary law OF such a story
as mine that the persons concerned In IL
only appear when the course OF events
takes them up: they come and go. not by
favor Of my personal partialty. but by
right OF their direct connection with the
circumstances 10 be detailed. For this
reason. not Pesca only. but my mother
and sister as well. have been left far
in the background OF the narrative. My
visit to the Hampstead cottage; my moth
er's belief in the denial OF Laura's iden-
tity which the conspiracy had accom-
plished; my vain efforts TO overcome the
prejudice OF her part and on my sisters.
10 which. In their Jealous affection for
painful necessity which that prejudice
marriage from them iii they had
all these little domestic occurrences
have been left unrecorded. because they
were not essential 10 the main interest of
10 my anxieties and imbittered my dis
appointments-the steady march OF events
had inexorably passed them by.
For the same reason, ! have said moth,
ing here OF the consolation that found
in Pesca's brotherly affection for me.
when I saw him again after the sudden
cessation Of my residence at Limmeridge
House. have not recorded the fidelity
with which my warm hearted little friend
followed me 10 the place OF embarkation
when I sailed for Central America. or the
ceived me when we next met in London.
II ! had felt justified In accepting the
offers OF service which he made to me
o on my return he WOULD isr.b have sppesarsa
that his honor and hts courage were 20
be implicitly relied on, ! was not sure that
his discretion was TO be trusted and, for
that reason only. / followed the course
OF all my inquiries alone. IL Will now
be sufficiently understood that Pesca was
not separated from all connection with
hitherto been separated from all connec-
ton with the progress OF this narrative.
He was as true and as ready friend or
mine still as ever he had been In his life
Before summoned Pesca to my assist
ance, II was necessary TO see for my
self what sort OF man I had to deal
with. Up to this time, had never once
set eyes on Count Fosco.
Three days"after my return with Laura
and Marian to London, set forth alone
for Forest Road, St Johns Wood. be-
ing. II was fne day-I had some hours
10 spare-and i thought II likely. IL
waited for him. that the count might be
tempted out. I had no great reason TO
fear the chance of his recognizing me In
the daytime. for the only occasion when
] had been seen by him was the occasion
on which he had followed me home at
night.
No one appeared at the windows In the
front OF the house. ! walked down
turning which ran past the side OF Il and
looked over the low garden wall. One or
the back windows on the lower floor
was thrown up and net was stretched
across the opening. saw nobody; but l
heard. in the room first shrill whistling
and singing Of birds-then the deep ring
ing voice which Marians description had
made familiar TO me. Come out on my
,e tb nser my and hep up staiTs
One. two, three-snd up! Three, two,
one and down.. One, two. three-twi,-
twit-twit-tweetT The count was @ exer-
else them In Marian's time at Blackwa-
waited q little while, and the singing
and the whistiing ceased. Come, kiss
me- me. my prettiesi' said the deep voice;
There was a responsive twittering and
chirping-a low. oily laugh-a silence OF
opening of the house door. / turned,
and retraced my steps. The magnificent
melody Of the Prayer in Rossini's
Moses, sung in a sonorous bass Voice voice,
opened and closed The count had come
out.
He crossed the road and walked
toward the western boundary OF the Re
gents park. ] kept on my own side OF
the way, little behind him. and walked
In that direction also.
Marian had prepared me for his high
stature. his monstrous corpulence and
his ostenta tious mourning garments-but
not for the horrible freshness and cheer-
fulness and vitality Of the man. He
carried his so years as II they had been
fewer than 40. He sauntered along. wear
ing his hat little on one side with a
light. jaunty step. swinging his big
stick humming to himself; looking up.
from time 20 time. at the houses and gar
dens on either side of him with SUI
of
had been told that the whole neighbor-
hood belonged to him. that stranger
would not have been surprised to hear
it. He never looked back; he paid no
tention To any one who passed him on
his own side OF the road-except. now
and then. when he smiled and smirkec
with an easy, frsternal good humor at
the nursery maids and the children
whom he met.
In this way. he led me on. till we
reached n colony OF shops outside the
western terraces OF the park.
Here he stopped at pastry-cook's
went In probably TO give an order) and
came out again Immediately with a tart
IN his hand. An italian was grinding an
organ before the shop. and a miserable
little shriveled monkey was sitting on the
instrument. The count stopped bit n
piece for himself out OF the tart, and
gravely handed the rest to the monkey.
my poor little mani! he said with gro-
tesaue tenderness: you look hungry In
the sacred name OF humanity. offer you
some lunch!" The organ grinder piteously
put In his claim 10 n penny from the
benevolent stranger The count shrugged
his shoulders contemptuously. and passed
on.
We reached the streets and the better
class OF shops between the New Road and
oxford street The count stopped again, /
and entered a small opticians shop. with
an inscription In the window. announcing
that repairs were neatly executed inside |
He came out again. with an opera glass
in his hand. walked a few PAGES on. and
stopped 10 look at n bill or the opera
placed outside music sellers shop lie
read the bill attentiveiy. considered n mo- /
ment. and then hailed an empty cab as Il |
passed him. "Opera box office" he said I
10 the man. and was driven away.
crossed the road. and looked at the bill I
IN my turn. The performance announced /
was "Lucretia Borgia," and II was 20 /
49, sfsf..