The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-05

(Continued.l


q music. and total want Of taste In that
direction. He only appealed 20 me again
with a vehemence which set all further
protests on my part at defiance. The
English and the Germans tns Indignant
y deolared) were always reviing the
Itafsans for their inability 10 cultivate
the higher kinds or music. We were
perpetually talking OF our oratorios; and
they were pespetnslly talking Of our
Symphonies. IBID we forget and did they
rxxet his Immortal friend and country
man RossiHt7 What vas Moses In Egypt
hut a sublime ora atorfc, which was acted
on the stage. instead OF being coldly sung
In concert room? What was the over
ture 70 'Guilla ume Tell but a symphony
under another name2 Had heard Moses
m Egypt Would listen 10 this. and this.
and this, and this aud say IL anything
nrxre sublimeiv sacred and grand had
ever been composed by mortal mann
And, without waiting for word OF assent
or dissent on my part, looking me hard
In the face all the time. he began thun-
dersng on the piano. and singing To it
with loud and lofty enthusiasm. only
tnterrupting himself at intervals. to an
ucnnce "a me fiercely the titles of the
different pieces OF music, +" Chorus OF
Egyptians In the Plague bf Darkness
with the Tables OF the Law -" PRAYER
Of Israelites at the Passage OF the Red
Seas' Aha, Aha. Is that sacred?7 Is
that sublime7' The piano trembled under
hts powerful hands; and the tea cups on
the table ratified az his big bass voice
thundered out the NOTES, and his heavy
foot beat time or the floor.
There was something horrible. some
thing fierce and devilish. in the outburst
A-fexx lxt~ ,,..l
playing. and In the triumph with which
he watched ITS effect upon me- as 1
xhrnnk nearer and nearer to the door.
was released at last. not by my own
e<forts, but by Sir Percivais interposi-
ton He opened the dining room door
and called olt angrily To know what
that Internal noise" meant. The Count
Instantly got mp from the piano. "Ah.
II Percival is coming" he said. ''har-
mony and melody are both at an end.
The muse of music. Miss Halcombe de-
serts MS In dismsy; and 1. the fat old
mAnstrel exf,ale the rest of my enthusi-
sSm IN the open air" He stsiked out
into the vsrandn- put his hands In his
pockets and resumed the ''recitativo Of
Noses" soto voice. in the garden.
heard Sir Percival call after him from
the dining room window, But he took
no notice, he seened determined not TO
hear. That long deferred quiet talk be-
tween them was still To be put on was
still ia waif for the Counts absolute will
and pleasure
He had detained me In the drawing
room nearly half an hour from the time
when his wife left us. Where had she
been and what had she been doeg in
that interval?
I went upstairs 10 ascertain. but
made no discoveries: and when I Ques-
toned Laura. found that she had not
heard anything Nobody had disturbed
her-no faint russiing OF the silk dress
had been audible, either In the anteroom
or in the passage.
II was then twenty minutes To nine.
After going TO my room to get my jour
nal. i returned. and sat with Laura.
some times writing. sometimes stop
ping TO talk with her. Nobody
came near us. pnd nothing happened.
We remained together till ten o'clock.
then rose. said my last cheering words,
her door again. after we had arrapged
that I shoiid come in And see her the
FIRST thing In the morning.
had a few sentences moro TO add 10
my diary before going to bed myself. and
as ! went down again tc the dra wing
room after leaving Laura for the last
time that weary day resolved merely
to show myself there. to make my ex-
cuses and then to retire an hour earlier
than usual for the night
Sir Percivai and the Count and his wife
were sitting together. Sir Percival was
In an easy char: the Count was
reading. Nine. Fosco was tanning her
self Strange 20 sag. her face was flushed
now. She. who never suffered from the
heat. was most undoubtedly suffering
from II tonight
'I am afraid. Countess, you are not
quite so well as usuai7'' j said.
THE very remark l was about to make
TO you." she replied You are looking
pale my dear
Ny dear. 1t was the FIRST time she had
ever addressed me with that familiarity.
There was an insolent smile. too. on her
face, when she said the words
II am suffering from one OF my bad
answered, coldly.
"Ah. indeed? Want Of exercise. / sup
pose walk before dinner would have
been just the thing for you" She re-
ferred To the walk" with a strange en-
phasis- Had she seen me go out? No
matter II she had. The letters were safe
now. In Fanny's hands
"Come. and have smoke Fosco." said
Sir Percival. rising with another uneasy
look at his friends.
with pleasure, Percival when the
ladies have gone to bed" replied the
Count.
Excuse me. Countess. II set YOU the
example OF retiring l said The ONLY
remedy for such headache as mine Is
going 10 bed
I took my leave. There was the same
insoient smile on the womans face when
shook hands with her. sir Percival
paid no attention TO me. He was looking
impa tiently at Nine Fosco. who showed
no signs ~ lesving me room with me.
The Count SMILED to himself behind his
book
There wss vet another delay 70 that
quiet talk with Sir Pereival--and the
Countess was the impediment this time.
tx
June isth-Once safely shut into my
own room, ! opened these pages. and
prepared 10 70 on with that part OF the
days record which woe stIl left 10 write.
For ten minutes OF more I eat Idle. with
the pen In nay hand. thinking over the
events OF the last IL hours. When I at
lost addressed myself n my task. I found
. difficulty In proceeding with II which
I had never experienced before In spite
OF my efforts 90 fix my thoughts on the
matter An hand. they wandered away