The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-04-23

dear longing for denial that made her
tone shake nowi-she said:
''Tita. told me that-when you came
to Ravenna-you had not known"
He rose to his feet. feeling the chains
weakening. the barriers of all that
had lain unspoIen, yet not unfelt,
burning away.
at was true" he answered confront
ing her. II did not know it, But IL
/ had known all I know tonight I
would have crossed seas and mountains
70 come TO you'll Now that / have seen
you-what can do? Teresa Teresa"
The exclamation held trenchant pain
something else too. that for the life
Of him he could not repress- 1t pierced
her with a darting rapture.
Since that hour at the monastery,
with its pang and its reinsurance, as
she felt budding those new, mysteri-
Gus flowers of faith and heart expert
ence.- she had felt a deeper unguessed
want. Over and over she had repeat
ed to herself the last words he had said
before that painful interruption: Be
cause it was prayer of yours for me-"
Her soul had been full Of a vague,
unphrased yearning for all the mean
ings that might lie unexpressed in the
coupling of those two words. So now
as she heard him speak her name in
that shaken accent her heart thrilled.
All she breathed. then you care
so much?'
His fingers clenched. He was torn
with two emotions: -abasement and
hungry desire. dashed by propinquity.
to take her in his arms. to defy vow
and present, be the consequence what
it might. There came upon him again
the feeling that had gripped him when
she stood with him among the circling
maskers. vio1et-eyed, ulac-veined,
bright with new impulses, passionate
and lovely. He leaned toward her. IL
she but knew how he cared!
A sound startled them both. Her
hand grasped his with apprehensfve
fingers as she listened. "Lookt There
beyond the hedge. A shadow moved"
He looked Only an acacia stirred In
the light air.
TT is nothing" he treasured her.
"Tita is at the gate"
"Oh," she said fearfully, IT should
not have said come. There Is risk
for you here"
What would not have risked?''
2 'Listeni"
Another sound came to both now, the
pounding of horses hoofs. borne over
the roof from the street.-the rumble
Of heavy coach wheels. 1t ceased all
at once and lights sprang into windows
across the shrubbery.
She came to her feet as Tita hurried
toward them. 1T Is the signore,"
warned the gondolier.
.'Dio mio!" she whispered "Go-go
quickly"
He caught her hands. III only I
could help you. serve you'll"
You cam. she said hurrfedly. IT
have letter on which much depends
for the Contessa Albrizzi at Venice.
/ cannot trust messenger"
1T shall start tonight
TT is in my room. / will send It
after you by Tita- Ah-hasten!'
He bent and touched his lips to a
against her shoulder. Her eyes met
his an instant in futtering. happy con-
fusion Then. as he followed T1ta
quickly to the gate, she turned and
ran toward the house.
She had not seen a man, crouched In
the shadow Of a hedge, who had hur-
ried within doors to greet the master
Of the casa so Unexpectedly returned.
She did not see the rage that colored
her husbands shrunken cheeks in his
chamber as Paolo. his Corsican secre-
tary, Impaired to him two pieces of in
formation: The presence Of the stran-
ger in the garden and the arrival that
afternoon at the osteria OF him Venice
called "the wicked Milford"
The old Count pondered with shak-
ing fingers. He hated the Englishman
of Venice; hated him for robbing him
Of the youth and beauty he had gloat-
ed over, for the arrow to his pride
with a hatred that had settled deeper
each day. fanatical and demented. The
story Of the garden trespasser inspired
now an unholy craving for reprisal.
uniformed and but half conceived. He
summoned his secretary.
In a few moments more-a half-hour
after Teresa's letter had started on it's
way to the inn-his coach, with its six
white horses. bearing Paolo. and fol-
lowed by four Of the casa servants
afoot. was being driven thfther by
roundabout course,
49,