Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-06-02

just over when Carlo, having thor
oughiy studied the strong. intellec
tual face Of his gisitor-his calm,
deep-set eyes, and the SORT Of general
air Of "irc- gray which character
lied hfm-exclaimed, with an excite
ment which surprised the vicar:
Il believe, sir-indeed. / am quite
sure-that We have met before"
Now the vicar had at that moment
been thinking OF his sermon az ST.
Cyprian's, and admitting TO himself
that this actor, at any rate. did not at
all fit in with his preconceiyed notion
Of the members of the "unhaIlowed
calling, so, naturally enough. he
thought that Garlic must refer to this
occasion.
Can you have been in the congre-
CATION at St Cyprian's when
preached there the other day? he ex-
claimed. y little thought l was adj
dressing any one connected with the
stage"
"Ah! was it indeed you who
preached that sermon % said Carlo
quickly. Yes, l was there with my
friend sardoni, The tenor OF the COM
pany; but we were quite at the back
of the church, and could not even see
the pulpit. Was it indeed you who
preached? This is one of the oldest
condolences / ever knew"
But when can you have met me be
fore? said the vicar, looking puzzled.
Can have met you in italy and have
forgotten?"
do you remember being in Naples
last May, and going one afternoon
into one Of the cafes in the Piazza
Plebiscito. and talking with your COM
panion as to the Improvement OF the
world in general in the nineteenth
century,"
with Stanley, Yes. yes. remem
Der It quite well" said the vicar.
DO you remember how you said
that men were not more willing to
live the life of the Crucifed? Well
/ was sitting close by and heard you
and owe you much, for those words
haunted me continually, and-'but this
will, fear, shock you-they helped
me TO choose my present profession.
The vicar smiled a little. He could
just perceive, though not so clearly as
Carlo perceived, the irony of the stu.
alton. Mr.. Britton had given him a
| hint as TO Donati's motive in going on
the stage, and had expressed hope
that the vicar if he had any oppor.
tunity, would do his best to dissuade
| him from returning to it. feeling con
WINGED that Madame Merlino's case
was hopeless. And now to be told
that 1t was in some degree owing to
words of his that the choice had been
made was, to say the least of 1t,
kstsrtling, while the knowledge that
thu, Italian had been listening in St
! Cyp cians to his TRADE against the
aters vexed him not a little. The
vicar VAS kind-hearted man. though
many people considered him hard;
| but, as a natter of fact, the idea OF
| having denounced such a man as Do
natl to his face, and having probably
panied him, caused him serious an
noyance.
81 have always disapproyed of the
stage" he said, after a brief pause.
But am exceedingly sorry that you
heard that sermon the other night,
for it must have seemed hard and I'M
just TO you, | am afraid"
81 will tell you quite candidly just
how it was" said Carlo. at did vex
me, | must allow. but then was be-
ginning to feel i'll and overcome, and
had had rather a rough time of ii
though the week, and it seemed hard
to lose the sense of fellowship which
one counts on getting. at any rate, in
church. But what vexed me most of
al, and perhaps made me exagaerate
your denunciation, was that my friend
Sardoni, who does no. go in much for
church services, happened that night
to have come with me-
Did II do him HARM 10 you
Think" asked the vicar.
Carlo hesitated.
To be continued