Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-22
EMILIA

death"
"The stranger-who gave his name as
Count Antonio Glucci-took such an appar-
ent fancy to me that he invited me to his
home.
"When we reached Florence we drove
straight to the Count S palace, magnificent
yet dreary building, and were received in
great state by retinue of bowling domesticS.
In accordance with the Count commands,
his majordomo took me to my room, a
most palatial apartment, paneled with dark
oak. My luggage speedily followed me, and
the majordomo left me alone.
"AS have said before, it was gorgeous
room, and the countless candles that lighted
it were set in silver sconces of most exquisite
workmanship All the furniture was antique
and costly; and over the heavy oak mantel-
piece there was portrait let into the panel
ing-the portrait of the most beautiful wo-
man | have ever seen. | had never beheld
such beauty before; l have never beheld
such since"
| Emmie gazed at her father with that sur
prise which we all feel when we discover
in house with which we consider ourselves
thoroughly familiar room that we have
never seen before.
| at may seem strange to you, Emilia
and SO strange to your mother that l would
not for worlds ever let her know anything
about it,-but the beauty of that portrait
gripped me as had never been gripped be-
fore. In short,-to use an expression that
would greatly shock your mother, which l
fear is Hardly fit for the ears of young girl
like yourself,-I fell in love with it.
| EMMIE'S heart beat fast at the extraor-
- binary relevation. But she understood
her father at that neutrality-suspicious.
maiden though she was-better than her
| thirty-years- married mother ever could have
understood him. The daughter knew more
about the promised land of love that was
closed to her than did the mother who had
entered in and possessed it:
| The old man continued his "reminiscences.
ayes, Emilia, strange as it may seem to you,
fell in love with mere beauty, quite apart
from any thought of intellectual companion
ship or moral worth. And l was so intoxi-
Gated with the beauty of that portrait that
l had hardly completed my toilet when the
majordomo returned to conduct me to the
dining room for our evening meal. | fol-
lowed him along stately corridors and down
a magnificent marble staircase into what
was a banqueting hall rather than dining
room. In one of the windows of this gorgeous
apartment a round table was laid for one,
and on it l found a note from the Count,
saying that he had been suddenly called
away on political business and would not be
back until very late; but he hoped to see
me at breakfast on the following morning,
and he knew that his servants would give
me good dinner. Certainly his promise Of
good dinner was amply fulfilled; and i'm
mediately the meal was over retired to my
own room, giving the excuse to the steward
that was weary after my long journey
the real reason being my desire to be alone
once more with that exquisite picture.
@On seeing it again l fell more madly in
love with it than ever, and could hardly
do anything for looking at it. But presently
l was conscious of strange feeling that my
gaze was returned, and that the eyes of the
portrait reciprocated my glances of love and
longing; whereupon my passion increased,
and could hardly take my eyes away from
the exquisite sight. Gradually, however, the
fire and the candles burnt low, and the ia
tigues of the long day made themselves felt;
so that at last threw myself, dressed as l
was, upon the magnifcently carved four
post bed. But just as | was falling asleep l
thought heard soft voice whisperin Italian,
Take care, take care! Beware of a dagger
"An older and wiser man would have
lheeded this warning; but | was foolhardy