The San Francisco call., 1908-04-12

TO be-about nifty.
.Zeno's jaw dropped, for she spoke so
naturally and quietly that he could
not believe she was laughing at him.
Il shah be twenty nine in August
he answered.
only twenty-nine?" Zoe affected
great surprise. II should have thought
you were much. much older. Are you
suite sure?"
yes" Carlo laughed. 4 am quite
-sdre. But ] suppose I seem very old to
you
oh. yes. Very She nodded gravely
as she spoke.
You are seventeen, are you not?'
Zeno asked.
How in the world should 1 know"
she inquired. Is not my age set down
p in the receipt GuIlabi gave you with
me? How should a slave know her own
age, SIR? And if she knew it. do you
think that any of Us could speak the
truth, except under torture? 1t would
not be worth while to dislocate my
arms and burn my feet with hot irons
Just to know how old I am, would it?
1 Il
] shall tell everything at once
should never make good conspirator
] suppose you must have been wounded
once or twice. when you were young
Tell me- did 1T hurt very much?'
a cat with sharp sword feels like
stream Of icy cold water" he an
swered. A thrust through the flesh
pgicks like d big thorn, and pricks
again when the point comes out on
the other side One feels very little,
or nothing at all. If one is badly
wounded in the head, Tor one is stunned
At once; it IS the headache afterward
that really hurts If one is wounded
in the lungs one feels nothing, but one
is choked by the blood. and one must
turn on ones face at once in order not
- to suToc3tc. Broken bones hurt after
ward, IS a rule more than first, but it
is z curious sensation to have ones
collar bone smashed by a blow from
two handed sword
Great heavens" cried Zoe. What
a catalogue! How Go you know how
each thing feels2"
simply.
You have been wounded in all these
different ways, and you are alive?"
ZenO smiled
Yes; and understand now why
look so old
knew that I was not You need only
look at yourself in a mirror TO see that
I was laughing"
I was not very deeply hurt by be-
ing taken for a man of fifty" Zeno
answered, not quite trdthfully.
~Oh, no. laughed Zoe. Il cannot
imagine that nay opinion Of your age
could make any difference to you. It
was silly Of me-only. for man who
has had so many adventures, you do
.lDok absurdly young"
so much the better since my fight
ing days are over"
And since you are a sober, peace
loving merchant. said Zoe. continuing
the sentence for him But are you so
very sure. my lord? Would nothing
make YOU draw your sword again and
risk your life on your feelings? Moth
ing2r
Nothing that did nct affect my hon
or. / truly believe"
you would not do it for a woman's
sake2' She turned TO him to watch his
face, but its expression did not change.
Three things can drive wise man
mad-wine. women and dice"
Il daresay. Your lordship reekons US
in good company. But that is no an
-swer to my question
Yes, it IS" said zeno. with laugh.
why should ] do for a woman what 1
wouldn't do for dice or wine2"
But dice and wine never tempted
you" Zoe objected.
Never? When I was a student at
Padua I sold everything even my
books, TO get money for both. It was
only when the books were gone that I
turned soldier and learned the greatest
game Of hazard in the world. Compared
with that dice are an opiate and wine
is a sleeping draught"
He only smiled now, after laughing,
but there was 2 look in his face as he
spoke which she saw then for the first
time and did not forget. and recognized
when she saw il again. 1t was subtle,
and might have passed unnoticed
among men. but il spoke to the sex IN
the girl and nfade her young blood
thrill For worlds she would not have
had him guess what she felt just then.
Fighting for its own sake would
tempt you. II nothing else could she
said.
"Ah-perhaps. perhaps" he answered,
But you would need a cause. though
ever so slight. and you have none here,
have you?"
None that I care to take up
D.. You may find something to fight for
.-over tho water" Zoe suggested. en-
phasizing the words little and watch
ing his face
lf prince liif-ail nDllIBS 10 Hiil
over the water2" he repeated care
lessly AT home. IN Venice. you mean.
Yes, If Venice needed me. 1 should not
wait to be called twice,"
IL was quite clear that he attached no
meaning TO the words she bad used,
and this fact tailed with what the as
trologer had told her in the morning as
10 llis having been deaf to all advances
made to him by the imprisoned empe-
ror's party.
Zoe leaned back in silence for
while almost closing her eyes. and she
saw that he watched her and that an
unmlstakable look Of admiration stole
into his face. She was wondering
whether il would ever turn into some
thing more. and whether she should
ever see the gieam Of fight in his ewes
for her sake, that had flashed in them
a moment ago at the mere thought of
battle.
zeno broke the long silence with an
unexpected speech which roughly
awakened Zoe from her reflection.
AS for this Emperor John whom
his son has locked up" he said. ~his
friends have done their best to inter-