Evening star., 1907-10-27
CHAPTER XIV.
Count Flavio's Diary

Vera were still in the drawing room. No
body cared to disturb them. 1t was felt
that they would have much to say to one
another And, no doubt. all they had TO
tell would be disclosed when the proper
time came. Waldo had not recovered con-
sciousness again. He lay there overhead,
with a yigiIant-eyed nurse watching him.
Venables had not come down with Mrs.
Deiahay and Walter He had excused
himself on the plea Of business. and on
the understanding that he would Wis
Cannon Green the following day. In the
dining room for the iast hour or two
Walter had been seated, deeply engross7 d
in the slim. Northumberland volume
which had been sent him by the Countess
Fiavto at the urgent request OF her dying
servant
Time was going on. and still Walter did
not look up from the book It was long
past two be ore he finished. Then, with
firm step and a determined air. he went
up to the little library, whore Lord
RaEenspu@ was busy writing letters. The
latter looked up and demanded to know
what his nephew wanted.
Il want you to look at this" Walter
said quietly 1T is diary written by
your late friend, Count Flavio, whose
handwriting you will, o. course, recognize.
The diary came into the hands of Silva
after his masters death. Now Silva tod
me some time agO-In fact. during that
memorable interview in your studio-that
he had in his possession documentary evi-
aence which would prove that his mis-
tress was an injured woman anu his
master a scourdret of the eepest dye.
! When | asked him why he did not pro-
duCe this book at the trial he shrugg d
his shoulders, and said that it would have
been useless. Public opinion against the
countess ran so high that nobody would
have believed that it was anything but
forgery. But that will be for you to
Judge Before We go any further. l want
your assurance that this is your dead
friend S own handwriting"
Lord RaVenspur turned over the leaves
OF the manuscript. more or l7ss languidly.
one leaf after another he tiuttered over;
then he handed the book back to Walter
again
i am not going to contest the point"
he said Beyond question this is my un-
fortunate friends handwriting; though
the letters are quite plain, the writing
could not be easily forg d Indeed, to
forge such an amount as that would b.
| the work of half a iii 'i-r But what
do you want me to 90
Walter Signified thai aid Ike his
uncle + read the wiz the volume
| but Lord Ravenspur shoo. his head.
4 am afraid l cannot he said II can
speak Italian fairly enough. as you know
but tnat is merely cOIloquial. and I had
never time really to master the language.
But. seeing that you spent three years
of you', life there. don't you think that
YOU had better read 1t out to me. l sup
pose 1t is interestingly
7 Il never read anything that fascinated
me more Walter said. Mind you, this
i@ > - ia VI ,ou,II FidEo. ne
naa, ~ - 80 LA any pouy Woulo ever
from start TO finish, and I am forced u
tie conclusion that your friend was the
iT1'otiouS ~, oSJullp.el tHdt oliVa declares
ti+h,.s{,g !. 81 ) ~ ~ ''lIs pooh was
~, +x' - ""I'u o1u9e sieaI selisd-
II is +In 49,, s " !titp ~ ~. " INC Cttiel'
" -" WI VI d "iIi!ialit man WIN
hi+ a atiu an lilasii,aIiEe ihlho-the
- 80 if1 ~ an t''lltpL ~ u7PLlNe woman
tt-aa e4 VII. WI. ~ " Ilti teaSoi, OF tAe
Ca,,,t ca ~ Ing MiiSn Tue LounI ana
,.5r,l',s ,",al.e,,Ss IaElo hIed 'oge'her 'he
tor,,.r ,I!. N ~ 4oIts, Ii'cessaht
T:oIerca ~ ~, ,, , ~'s ~ 'l!e dctta
-I - -, - 'ol ~" W. SAquiSil1
have tba,n IN tta ,a'''nt. nu III, a,ei we
is absII,Ita1,, ,,acassor,. +,,t W. 49, 70
uc+c,3 "a s,n,. t,,t"t' So > ~ 9.iouIu .
,,,n,., '0+l'' All 'O'' I''il t''iS alid%iis
"Go o,,., 1,,-,a,,.. ,.,, ,-.,- -.
ar, al at;o,t3(n 'p"' '''" q"'e''S'
vai+ar hor+ taol .bo tao,- s ,...
f. rCaI "''' ''''Oh TIC JUN anu pesdH
..t,ahr,,o~, - ,oc- y,-t+ .. 49,.
-, NA'' - i'o'' :" IiaI man Is tHeiG
W.. Til' ,@, eTeI SucCgeaea IN penetrating
rojo1o W. 80. ~ ~ 10 - " q % %"oIiiaIi
a lnCuIedert Of tia w." + ~ a. 80
riag go 80 - .,Sa[4 NJ ~ We az ND
daH b, 1tie ieSso. Delore US
S',,' -, ~ 10 ~ lotId, Or eA-
tha+ sba 10 i1,, pt ''''iis ltoupts -
ttIt, '.I 10 "iDu1 Vi me .olIe seems 10
80 "too sur 'dt IieiSeil on
80 ~ " ~ 4<iiitiIE Iot my sdke am 10 De
~ '' anu !dIi iieHGtIoitH ana lot
- 5 ms Pi PCoulioi lo' III Vi Jediousy III
80 aii,I ~ S 81 ,useS ny. is IS pleasuTe
taIs ~s4"s - I'm d 'l~e'I.lAC ~ pdSis. ms
l, f tpiu I -.ci vas soil!s - lo'-
80 - ~ q unS Vi '"o; dIu sIi' WepI p7-
~oaC'se ~ "IS1u iio' aIlo" her TO accom-
p't% M tou[b ste tLal S!le does not
u H'2' M ""elelole caused ii1ehd o
III "lIP can lih!tdIe woman "rltlhS
-. - Sii0H''H, ~ VIE me pdS9ioh5Ie rove
lG''I', "iicH ieH quite naturally INTO
oairot'a @ AaHdS'
| . "e scene WHICH ioIioWeo was exqulS-
lteIS amusing. nave never seen
woman weep - Such an extent beIore
1oS4ll'ely my charming tarlotta was en-
ciiaAIAe. was quite sorry at length
| when she assumed a mantle of dignity
| or many such scenes If engineered them
/ properly. l see tnat Car!otta IS in pos
session OF all the emotions so that, by
studying her alone, l shall be in posi-
| uon to add some really extraordinary
| chapters to my great book on women and
| their ways.
/ March 10 1857. Carlotta has afford d
! me month of absolute enjoyment. Why
! d people pay money to sit in stuffy
| theaters and watch comedies and trag
! edles when they can see and hear the
/ real pa pttating thing for nothing? Out