Pietro Ghisleri

accompanying him on any condition. He assured her that with his fur coat, and in a closed carriage with a foot-warmer, he was as safe as at home in the drawing-room, and

she was tempted to open the window and call the driver back. Then she reflected that s

two or three times to see. To the artist's surprise, he insisted upon carrying it away with him at once, just as it was. Then he told the coachma

sombre hue, and the furniture consisted of three superb marble tables with carved and gilt feet, and sixteen chairs of the style of Louis the Fourteenth's reign, all precisely alike, and standing side by side against the walls. Francesco Savelli stood facing the door, his yellow hair, blue eyes, and fresh c

other sister. Savelli disliked Lord Herbert because he was a cripple, and chiefly because he had married Laura Carlyon. Arden, on his side, was more or less

t allowed the heavy curtain to drop, closed the d

Savelli, taking his hand. "I hope

Thanks." Both s

the stiff, high-backed gilt chai

elli would have noticed the look of determination about the smooth-shaven lips and the prominent chin-the look o

service," answered Do

business concerns your wife and mine, and it is better that we shoul

aking a slight inclination of the head in answer. Arden conti

circulation concerning my wife, and some of them conc

ld tell me something of their nature," o

m to you, word for word, or nearly so. It is said, in the

lli, startled out of

ife leads a most unhappy existence with me in consequence. It is further stated that she makes no secret of this

o, gravely. "She has never spoken of you to

that my wife has given you to understand that she loves you, and that, if you would consent, she would be ready to leave

effect that you once took too much wine at the Gerano's house. But Ghisleri ma

ry has now reached the form in which I repeated it. For myself, I care very little. It

who your in

wi

d h

esent. The affair concerns you and me. I have not come to th

to a connexion of the family

k you. I come to you because all these stories

and almost rose from his seat

ried in a loud and angry voice

trike me, you will be disgraced for life, because I am a cripp

Savelli, still furious, and

wrong. But let me say that I do not in the least mean to insult you, nor, as I think, have I been lacking in civility to-day. I have given you a number of facts which I have every reason for believing to be true. You will in all likelihood have no difficulty in finding out whether they are true or not. If we, jointly, are convinced that the statements are false, I shall be happy to

regaining something of his outward calm. "As to what may or may

d Arden, coolly. "It is not

and imperturbable coolness, and not being by any means a coward himself, he could not help admiring bravery in others. He was none the less angry, however, though he made a great effort to keep his temp

by whom these stories were told to

o drag other people into the affair. You will be able to find out for yourself, an

vely refuse

onted with the person in question, I wil

to do anything without having previously spo

e which will not ultimately reflect credit upon you or yours. Mor

meas

ink about it. And now I w

feet, and stoo

er, very stiffly. "Allow me t

his ungainly, dislocated fashion, while Savelli walked slowl

fact in his preoccupied state of mind. While driving homeward, he looked at the little picture as it stood opposite to him on the seat of

id Arden to himself, "and she wil

rd of what he had said, nor did he feel that he had said too little. As he anticipated, Laura suspected nothing, and was delighted with the picture. She scolded him a little for having insisted upon going out on such a morning, especially for her sa

Adele," she said. "It is for the d

nvitation had been sent before his interview with Savelli, or si

ot?" asked Laura. "It is of n

e. Accept, dear. It

that she would find it hard to behave as though nothing had happened. Both would have been very much sur

own house, on pretence of talking to her about business. With considerable skill

of the Ardens jus

answered Adele, with a littl

saw them every day," obser

u, pap

h very much to know. It would not be har

r?" asked Adele, w

good authority that Arden drinks far too much. You know what a brave girl Laura is. She hides it as w

mportant. Her father had brought her own story back to her for confirmation, as it were. It might be dange

k, papa," she said, with the eviden

w anxious we are on Laura's account. Really, my child,

I am afraid there is no doubt about i

heard," said the Prince, looking do

year, when he was in such a disgraceful condition in

it is, my dear Adele, that there are other stories, and worse ones, too, about Laura. I hear that she is seriously in love with France

hat she was launched, and must go to the end, tho

he Prince. "Of course he will deny it all, and I would like to have somet

aused a

very intimate with our butler, who has often seen him going into the Temp

aimed the Prince. "So old Giu

. "But then, after all-so many men drin

ncesco-such a handsome fellow, too! She has shown good taste, at least." The Pr

e, with indignant s

ugh searching for something he could not

tes, my dear, I must have le

w the usage of the house and had pressed the button three tim

seppe," said the Prince. Then as the man t

elle

d I do not want her to know where it comes from. It must be placed on her table, do you se

Giuseppe was very

ace-a most excellent servant, who has been with Lord Herbert s

t must have been some other servant

ele. She bit her lip in silence. "Never mind," he continued. "It is a misunderstan

rned with the case, Gerano all the time looking very gentle. When the servant was gone

ed yourself, my daughter, you will begi

gh she had been struc

earnest,"

ed, frightened by his manner. "Di

hese tales and set them going in the world out of jealousy, and for no other reason, with deliberate intention to do harm. Even if it were not you who began, it would still be disgraceful enough on your part to say such things even to me, and you have said them to others. That last vile little i

gossip, and refuse to obey you, what

pose of half my property as I please," observed the

elf in her father-in-law's house. Casa Savelli counted upon the whole fortune as confidently as though it were already theirs. She knew very we

ty of what I never did," she said, still tryin

ere is no truth whatever in the report that Laura is in love with Francesco, and that you are absolutely certain that the Ardens are very happy together. Those

though her mirth had somet

ot very hard. I have not the slightest objection to doing that, because I

or say absurd, I recommend you to think of the law

o a confession. She had never supposed him capable of anything of the kind. But he was a quiet man, much more occupied in dealing with humanity in the management of his property than most people realised. No genius-certainly,-for if he had been, he would not have told the whole story to his wife, as he

o not think you will fall into the same fault in the future. If you do all that I have told you to do, I shall never refer to the matter after this, and we will try and forget it. But you have learned a lesson which you will remember all your life. Jealousy is a great sin, and slander is

ful for his forbearance. She was quite sure that her father-in-law would have behaved differently, and the stories she had heard of old Prince Saracinesca's temper showed clearly that the race of violent fathers was by no means yet extinct. She was not even called upon to make a formal apology

hing were necessary to complete her shame, it was the knowledge that she was utterly unable to cope with Gerano, who could disinherit he

subject, written by a very eminent practitioner, but not at all likely to interest Adele Savelli. But she felt the necessity of composing herself before meeting her husband when he should come home from the club, and she followed the lines wi

tion in the same person, though a few are aware that the truest wisdom is the most consistent frankness. Most of those of whom Savelli thought were men considerably older than himself, and not men with whom he had any great intimacy. The Prince of Sant' Ilario and his cousin, the Marchese di San Giacinto, Spicca, the melancholy and sarcastic, and perhaps Pietro Ghisleri-there were not many more, and the last named, who was the nearest to him in point of age, was not, as Savelli th

ything of them, any more than if they were not in Rome. Shall we

dens as the only guests, after what had recently passed between himself and Lord

the greatest antipathy for him because he is a cripple, poor fe

nd Laura were brought up like sisters-there

hen you first came to the house. Do you remember, Francesco-four years ago? I used to think you liked Laura better than me. Indeed

wkward laugh, and turning away his face t

ve she was dreaming of him even then, before she had ever seen him, and long before sh

re was a look of genuine admiration almost amounting to enthusiasm in her face. He

is wonderful, all

"with Arden's beautiful chara