Latosca

CWTRJÍÍir 3r RiA4MUJ tV. CHAPTER XIII.- [cONTINUED.] ' I do not mean to alarm you, my dear madame," he said quietly, "but it is useless to concoal from you that we have a diffieult task before us. However, leave all in my hands. I will see the queen myself, expiain the matter fully to her, and makc a personai appeal in behalf of Cavaradossi. And now, my dear ehild - pardon ine; I am old enough to be your father - you are worn out with anxiety and fatigue. Go home and rest." "Eest!" she ejacu ated, bitterly. "In such suspense, can there be such a thiug as rest for me?" "Try, at all events," said the Russian, both her hands in his. "You have need of all your strength." "You will let me know insRntly," she implored, "tha result of your interview with the queen." "Without faiL You can tnist me. I will come myself as soon as I have any news." Witii ihis she was oblied to be content, and with a few broken words of thanks she took leave of the prince and drove home. To follow the liussian's advioe. howover, was impossible. She knew that he would keep his word and use h s utmost endeavors for her lover. She knew also that his influence was considerable. But this inaction was horrble. She paced feverishly up and down her apartment, reviewing in her mind every incident of the night before- her lovor's torture, her own agony, her frenzied avowal, and Ang-elotti's tralie e d. And lo think ihather own senseless jealousy had brouprht about the present terrible state of aftairs. If Mario wcre on' y ñve once more, free to fío with her to sí me pla?e far from this turbulent Home, huw bv a life of devotion she would atone to him for her folly. It was with the greatest diíficulty she could restrain herself from fiyingo to the castle of St. Angoio and demanding admittance to her lover. Would the prince never come? Why had she not gone with him toadd the forcé of her own entreaties to his? Would the queen be merclful? She was a woman, she had a woman's heart; she surely would pardon Mario. Over and over again Floria argued with herself, novv hopeíul, now despundent. Despite Ier maid s entrearies she would take no refreshment. no rest. but paced back and forth like some caged wild animal. At iast, Prince Kali-cli was announceJ. With a cry full of questioninof anxiety, she hastened to meot him. In a moment she saw from the gfravity of his expression that his inission had not sneceeded, and she siaggered b;vck ashen palé, one hand pressed rigidly againsr, her heart. "You have failed! ' she gasped. "Kot entirely ; there is one hope left." "One hope! Speak, what is it? For God's sake, do not keep me in this suspense." "Compose yourself. I implore, my dear madame, and you shall know all." He insisied upon her drinkinsr a glass of wine, and then compelí. ng her to sit down beside him, he told his story while she lislened engerly, her whole soul in her eyes. "Af ter you left me," he began, "I went at once to the Farnese Palace, I found that the Queen had left for Naples early this morainfr." An ejaculation of despair broke from, Floria's Ups. "Be calm, madame, be calm! This departure, which is practically a flight. leaves baron iScarpia at the head of the government." "Scarpia!" "As soon as I heard this, I went to Scarpia's offices, and with tnuch ditnculty and only by the exercise of considerable diplomacy. I □aanaged to gain admittance to the regent of pólice himself." "Well?" exclaimed Floria, breathlessly, as the prince paused in his Vith a look full of pity and commisseratiou. Kalisch resumed. "Wou ld to üod that some one else rather than I were the boarer of my tidings: but, as 1 said, all hope is not lost vet." "Go on! g-o on!" "The regent is determined to make au exampie of Signor Cavaradossi - and he is condemned to be shot." A shiver shook La Tosca's frame from head to ioot, and then she sat, her namls clasped convulsively in her lap, as still, as white, as rigid, as if turned to marble. Her lips moved, but they g-ave forth no sound. The prin. e was alarmed. He spoke roughly, harshly. hoping to arouse her. he shuddered and suddenly broke forth into a passion of tears. "Ah! that is better, much better," said the prince, with a sigh of ïelief. For several minutes Floria wept on, then dryiug her eyes, she eried, startinfr to her feet: "it must not be! He shall be savedl What can be done?" "There is one chance," said the prince, speaking very quietly. "VVell? Vou saw Scarpia - whatdid he s;iy?" 'At first he absolutely refused to listen to me, the miserable do! but finally I forced hira to do so by sheer Dersistence. Ho did not quite daré to insult me. 1 made the strongest plea 1 could. When I had finished he turned to me and said, with an evil expression: 'I can give you no answer, prince, now. Bat teil sitfnora Tosca to come to me personally, and - and I will discuss the matter with her.' " "Ah!" she cried, "Felicia, my cloak! my hut! Quiekl" '"Patienee! I'atience! my dear madame," interrupted Kalisch. "He will aot see you now. He vrishes you to _ome to his office at 10 o'clock toïitrht." 1 ;od! how rnn I wait till then!" "Let us hope for the best. I confesa I do not like the idea of your going to this villain; I cannot teil why, but 1 fear rianger for you." '"■ hat is danger to me," she cried passionately, "in comparison with Mario' life? Besides it is the one Vos? it is tha one chance," echoed Kalisch, "and your entreaties may prevaij." They shall!" For over an houi he staid with her, encouragir.g her to the best of his ibility, and final'.y, when he thought her süllicit;ntly calca, left, promising to cali for her at half past nine and Eoiiduct her hiiiiself to the presence of bcai'pia. CHAPTER XIV. After the announceraent of the illfated news which turned the joy of cuieen and court into mourning and ended the fete given in honor of the supposed victory of the royalists, De Carneiles returned quietly to his hotel. Which side had won the vietory mattercd but little to him. His interest in politics was smaü; and if Home should become the seat of war, there were other capitais of Europe as atIractive. He was too much of a cosmopolitan to complain. And yet the Chevalier s mind was far from being at ease. His conscience, such as it was, was aroused. Over and over he repeated to himself that he could not have foreseen what liad occurred; that i i Ivarl was weak and foolish enough to ruin liimself for a coquette's caprices, it was not his fault. JJut in vain did he attempt to quiet his trouble by lus reasoning; the still, small i voice replied; "It was you who laid the trap for him; you who tempted him into the spider's web." It was not alono the feur of Karl's genius Qot bringing forth the fruits he had looked forward to for so many years that tormented him; he was frenuinely found of hisyounjí protege and would have sacriliced considerable to insure his welfare. At last, weary and worn out, he went to bed, promising himself that he would seek Roswein as early as possible and make one more effort, either by threais or entreaties, to rescue him from his present degraded position. Accordinglv. the first thing in the morning he sallied forth to the Via C urmello, where Karl had his lodgings. The streets seemed silent and deserted, a strange contrast to the brilliancy and excitem'-nt of the day before. De Carneiles paid little attention to this, howcver, but hurried on, absorbed in his own tliouifhts. "Well, my boy," he cried, with an assumption of gaiety, as he entered the little sitting room, where Karl was lingering over his breakfast; "have y. u recovered frora lust night's dissipatioa! No more idling now that I am hcre to spur you forward!" Karl tried to welcome his old friend and pation with some semblance of warmth, but he was in no taood to listen to his inexhaustible chatter. For a short time after Lady Hamilton's semi-acknowledgment that she loved him, he had been in the seventh heaven of happiness, but with tnorning had come cool refleetion. He doulited, feared and hoped, all atonce, and he longed to be alone. For that reason De Carneiles' appearance was anything but welcome to him. "I did not get much opportunity last it lor a chat with you," proceeded the Chevalier, throwing himself down into a chair opposite Roswein; "and there are a thousand things I want to know about By the way, you can give me a cup of chocolate, if you like. The cuisine at the Roma is abominable." Karl süently complied with his request. ".Now, teil me about your work," eaid the Chevalier, sipping the fragrant bever ijre. "How much of Tasso is finished? Will it be asgood as the Siege of (ranada?" The young man sighed. "I lold you last night," he said, "that I had "been in no mood for work." "Iiut surely you have done something1 in the last two months." "Xothing!" "Nothing?" "No; nothingl That wretched Torquato hangs like a millstone around my neck. Donati, you know - the impressario of the Argentina- paid ma for H in advance, and I was wrong to accept the moncy. The Muses are proud and are indignant at chaina, even. thouje-Jj the_v be rolden ones." " iVs; yo" have neeaeo. me, I see, said Ue' Carnelles, slowly, with a flanee oí commiseration. Then, setting down his cup he continued Ín a deterinined tone: "Karl, this thing must end, or your artistic career is finished." Karl flushed. "Explam yourself," he said briefly. "You know well what I mean," retorted the ebevalier. "Your infatuation for this wonian. " "You are not the one to blame me for that. Whose fault is it?" "MiDe! Mine'. I know it. You need not tell it to me. I have said it to myself often enough since last night. (jood heavens, man, could I foresee that an ordiuary piece of gallantry would turn out like this? Be a man. Return to your work. You have genios, unquestioned genius. In your suecesses, you will find distraction." "No, Chevalier," answered the young man, moodily. "'I have taken a false step, perhaps - I acknowledge it to you, I would acknowledge it 10 no one else - but I must a bidé by the consequences. My liíe must be devoted forever to this love, passion, infatuation - what you will." He paused a moment and then went on in a voice which was a littls unsteady. "Chevalier, my self-contempt would be unbearable if I had not the hcart to remain faithíul to my own treachery. What matters my suffering? I do not suffer enough. My crime will never punish me bo much as it has punished others." And he buried his face in his hands. "Kar), I"- began the Chevalier, but Roswein raising his head quickly, interruptei him. "No: don't tpeak to me of them'" he exclaimed. "1 don't know what has become of them. I don't waut to know. But at least it shall not be a passing fascination, the caprice of a moment, which has made me commit the cowardly action you know of. It shail be a great and unconquerable love. I must drink the cup to the drega. It is the only duty which remams to me; I will fulfill it It is the only virtue which saves me from despair, 'í Do not take it away from me." The Chevalier, as he listened, was filled with mingled feelings of pity and anger, in which the latter posslbly pred'iuinated. "(Jood heavens!" he burst out, as Karl ceased speaking. "There is a ghastly humor about all this that makes me shudder. Do you think todeceive me by all this mystieal jargon of yours? Do you hope to deceivo yourself? What have duty and virtue in common with the abject life you hare been leading the last two months? Have vou the courage to say to me that this woman who holdsyou in hor grasp, rolls you in the dust, and with a laugh crushes you under her foot - that jou love her?" "Yes; I do love her," he replied, despera tely. 'Have you no pride?" demanded De Carnelles, excitedly. "Will you wait till she casts you off, forbids you her presenee? Don't you understand that your place is no longer near her, since she does not love you?" Karl started as though struck by a sudden blow. "You don't know her," he cried. "I do! She is loyal. Haven' t I offered twenty times to go away and never to see her again? Why does she refuse to allow me to do so if she doesn't care for me?' The Chevalier laughed aloud, a bitter, satirical laugh. "Why?" he repented. "Why? üpon my word, this is too absurd. "Why has the tisrress the ways of thetigress? Why does she play wiih her victim before giving him his death blow? I tell you this woman does not love you. More than that, I believe she loves anothei." Karl leaped to his feet "Who?' he cried, wildly. "Who?" "N ow, don't get excited. Sit down and listen to me. I do not mean any one in particular, nor do I know anything definitely, but I would stake my liíe there is some one." "Once more, Chevalier," retorted Roswein, sinking back into his chair, "you don't know her. She might be capable of a crime, perhaps, but not of a base infamy!" "My friend, she is capable of anytbing," said De Carnelles, gravely, "as is any woman wh is without principie. Have you ever seen her put her loot inside a church ? No! Very well; beware equally of women who are always at church, and of women who nerer go there. They are a;ike ven omous. Shall I teil you the history of Einma Lyons?" "No! Stop!" cried Karl. "I am not going to quarrel with you," he continued. "Your creeds and your lalumnies, alike, f all harmless." "My calumnieEl" exclaimed the Chevelier in a tone of bitter irony. "Ah! I see how it is. She has editied you with some fine story of her past in order to blind you to the present and future. She has draped herself in the robe of innoeence. The bird of prey utters the Bentle cooings of the dove. The lioness, as you gaso beaeath her clutch, has persuadecï you that you are her conquerer. And tinally, when she has doubly and trebly bandaged your eyes, when she has firmly convinced you that you are the only man on eaith to her, she calmly casts you aside, and wh'stles you down to the wind, as sho has one your betters before youi" U ith a mutiered curse Karl started up, his face white with pasMon. "Listen to me, Chevalier de CarJ nelles," he said, in a hoarse voice. "You have been, after your fashion, ; my benefactor. I have remembered that up to this moment. But one word more will remove all feeling of gratitude from my heart. I will bear no more!" The Chevalier rose, took his hat.and in a voice full of sadness, said: "This is my punishment. Ido not blamo you, KarL It is all my fault. I should have been more far-sighted." As he opened the door to take his departure a servant appearud upon i the threshold. 'Pardon me. Signor," he said, "there is a young woman below who said this was to be delivered to Signor Kosweia at once." 1 Karl carne, forward and took from the man a tiny, tnreé-eornered missive, which he tore open with shaking hands. As he read it his face assumed a ghastly hue and he staggered back vvith oue hand pressed to his heart "What is it, my boy? What is it?'f exclaimed the Chevalier, casting his hat upon the table and hastening to Roswein's side. Without a word Karl handed him the note. De Carnelles read as follows: My Dkak Maestro: I amnotfond of scènes. You did me the honor to make one last night, and it was not the nrst. x am compellea to leave Rome ia order to escape the infliction of any similar unpíeasant ezperience. Adieu. Emjia IIamilton. As he finished, the paper fluttered to the yround. As he looked at Karl's liageard face, all was forg-ottea save the jfreat affeetion he bore him. "My poor boy," he murmured, putting his arm auout him. "Leave me, leave me, Chevalier," faltered Karl, sinking upon a lounge and burvinpr his face in the rUIow. T bt ('ontinuê'1.