Pietro Ghisleri

f December was fine, and he was able to drive out constantly, to be up most of the day, and to talk with acquaintances without any great fatigue. As a natura

se and saw the change that had taken place in her manner towards him. He was pleased, though he had not thought of producing any impression upon her by what he had done solely for Arden's sake, for he had long admired her, and felt that she was very like a certain ideal

s of the coming season. The gay set was not yet all assembled, and it was even reported that some of them would not come at all, for there was financial trouble in the air, and many people had lost money,

s was over all the earth'-very like Rome before the season begins. The resemblance ends there, my dear friend. The sentence which follows would hardly be

Ghisleri. "Besides, one shou

and the genuine old panels for doing the Botticellis. I often go to see him. He knows more about grinding colours, and about vehicles and varnishes, and the price of lamp-black than any artist I ever knew. He painted that portrait of Raphael by himself-by Raphael, I mean, for Prince Durakoff last year, and found the documents to prove its existence among his papers. It took him six months, but it was well done, especi

friend," obse

ortune," said Gouache, "as l

lly so cynical. W

half of her friends assure her that black is white, and the other half tell her it is a vivid yellow. That

frame of mind. As a matter of fact he often was w

l about?" inqui

about Lady Herbert Arden and Savelli, and about Lord Herbert himself, and his dissipat

Ghisleri began to smoke, rather gloomily, for he p

yon but could not marry her. Donna Adele never forgave her, and she will end by doing her a great deal of harm. She pretends that Savelli has told her that Lady Herbert is already talking to him and to everybody of her own wretched married life-rather hinting that if Savelli would care to dep

painting. He had not often witnessed even such a slight manifestation of real

ed Gouache. "From other things she has said, it is qui

ch Gouache alluded. They might have been directed against the Contessa-or they might have been such as to show that Adele suspected Ghisleri of an attachment for Laura Arden since he now went so often to the house. A

her denial, and he would be no further advanced than before. He could not possibly go to Francesco Savelli and demand of the latter an explanation of Donna Adele's conduct. That was out of the question. To let Donna Adele know that both Laura and Arden were quite unconscious of her attacks and, in their present life of almost enforced retirement, were likely to remain in ignorance of them, might annoy Donna Adele, but could do no good. It would be positively unkind to speak to the Princess of Gerano and ask he

himself, was ignorant of the fact that Don Francesco Savelli's first inclination had been rather for Miss Carlyon than for Donna Adele, but that it had been a mere young man's fancy, without any importance, and that having yielded to parental authority, Don Francesco was now a perfectly happy man. Perhaps Donna Adele had not been able to forget thi

t them as he scrutinised his companion's face. He knew the man well, however, and guessed th

uite prepared to support your words if an

ways ready." He spoke with such gr

story which Ghisleri had last year been obliged to deny in the most formal manner in the very room in which they were now talking, to a number of men. The tale had of late

do," asserted the Prince, wh

ed life, and other suggestions which I will not repeat are added, which are very insulting to her. For my part, my business is to defend Arden, who is my friend, and who is unfortunately too ill to defend himself should all this

r admirably, in consideration of the gravity of

nt of the harm she has caused. It would seem quite natural if you suggested

ogy?" Gerano did not like t

ngs about the Ardens to half a dozen people of her acquaintance-at random. Donna Maria Boccapaduli, the March

do not name any men,

ng, so far as I know-nor if they did,

, but wish to avert trouble rather than cause it. Otherwise I should not have listened to you as I have. I am very deeply attached to my only child, though I am also very fond of my step-da

ays be at yo

should act in order to get at the truth in the case. Being very fond of his wife, his first impulse was to tell her the whole story, and to take counsel with her before doing anything definite. It would have been bette

had assuredly not been in the direction of exaggerating the facts. She was in much the same position as her husband, except that her own daughter was the victim, while his was the aggressor. It was strange that in so many years neither should have understood Adele's character well enough to suspect that she could be capable of any

d not really allowed himself time to consider the situation in all its bearings before speaking to Gerano, or he might not have spoken at all. Gerano, next, had scarcely hesitated in confiding the whole affair to his wife, and she, in des

g what she said. At first Laura was tempted to laugh. She had been so much happier of late that laughing had grown easy, but she very

y. "Almost as I have loved you, my child! To

pale, she sat beside the Princess, holding her hands, then drying her fast flowing tears, then caressing her, and saying all she could to soothe and calm her, while almost choking herself to keep down the r

she asked anxiously. "Are you i

Laura, quietly enough. "I shall

e her own. It was hollow and str

she said, realising too late that the revel

been brought up like real sisters, and though we were never intensely fond of one another we talk about everything as if we were. I will be careful

h she had really been his daughter, but the shock had been very sudden, and sh

ake!" exclaimed the Princess, weakly, and

as usual to Adele, if we have to meet," said Laur

longing to talk the matter over with Laura-natural enough indeed, when it is remembered that the two loved one another so dearly. It had been

ue facts. So she tried to persuade herself, at least, but she found it a very hard matter to believe her own statement of it all. The more she thought it over, the more despicable it all seemed in her eyes, the more savagely she hated Adele. She could have borne the story about herself better, if it had come alone, but she could neither forgive nor find an

ly hurt and be revenged for the foul slander cast on Herbert Arden. She opened and shut her hands convulsively, as though she were clutching some one and strangling the breath in a living throat. Every drop of blo

she was aware of his presence he was standing before her, with a look of pain and a

had grown weak of late, was almost impossible to him, and yet the possibility of doubt was there. He had entered the room as usual, without any precaution, but she had not heard him; he h

and the horror of it was almost greater than he could bear. Yet there was a great and manly courage in his narrow breast. He felt that he must die, but she

e, dear one? I thought that you would love me-I see how it is when you are alone. No wom

, in sudden agony. She thought

n. Perhaps I should not have the strength. I see it all. You are so kind and good that you will never show it to me-but when you are alone-then you let yourself go-is it any w

ura's very heart when sh

rt! I never loved yo

at he must have suffered, and loving him as she said she did, far beyond the love of earlier days. But he hardly understood yet that it was real

too natural. Unless you tell me what it was that mad

r deep eyes s

rt?" she asked. And she saw t

thinking of would pain you very muc

he pain I feel now,"

nd so, in a few hours, the conversation Ghisleri had held with Gouache began to bear fruit in

ing colder and calmer every moment, while his heart, which had been beating furiously when he had first spoken to her, seemed now about to stand still. As she proceeded, however, he was aware of the most conflicting feelings of happiness and anger-the latter of the quiet and dangerous sort. He saw at once that he had been utterly mistaken in doubting Laura's love, and

upon the arm of her easy-chair, drawing her hea

sked, in a very gentle voice. "My dar

how it is. You are all the world to me-the mere thought that

perate gesture with her hands, as though she had them on a woman's throa

as though to soothe her anger. "Of course it is an absurd and disgusting story, and

knows that we love each other, and that it is all a lie-but when such a

vening. Let us do our best. You have made me so happy

at he looked very ill. The scene had been almost too much for him, and she re

it all away for this evening and b

ey talked of all manner of subjects, rather nervously and resolutely at first, then naturally and easily as ever, when the deep sympath

n he rose in the morning he did not feel tired. Something within him which was quite new seemed to sustain him and nourish him. He could not tell whether it was love for Laura, or anger against

and raw again, as the weather

Donald," he said to his

weather!" Donald's face exp

Arden. "Give me warm clothes, a

uttering in detached expressions of di