FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  
e smiled a pale uneasy smile, and pressed my hand. These were our last words, for with a warning shriek the train moved off, and in another minute had rushed out of sight. I was alone--alone with perfect freedom of action--I could do as I pleased with my wife now! I could even kill her if I chose--no one would interfere. I could visit her that evening and declare myself to her--could accuse her of her infidelity and stab her to the heart! Any Italian jury would find "extenuating circumstances" for me. But why? Why should I lay myself open to a charge of murder, even for a just cause? No! my original design was perfect, and I must keep to it and work it out with patience, though patience was difficult. While I thus meditated, walking from the station homeward, I was startled by the unexpected appearance of my valet, who came upon me quite suddenly. He was out of breath with running, and he carried a note for me marked "Immediate." It was from my wife, and ran briefly thus: "Please come at once. Stella is very ill, and asks for you." "Who brought this?" I demanded, quickening my pace, and signing to Vincenzo to keep beside me. "The old man, eccellenza--Giacomo. He was weeping and in great trouble--he said the little donzella had the fever in her throat--it is the diphtheria he means, I think. She was taken ill in the middle of the night, but the nurse thought it was nothing serious. This morning she has been getting worse, and is in danger." "A doctor has been sent for, of course?" "Yes, eccellenza. So Giacomo said. But--" "But WHAT?" I asked, quickly. "Nothing, eccellenza! Only the old man said the doctor had come too late." My heart sunk heavily, and a sob rose in my throat. I stopped in my rapid walk and bade Vincenzo call a carriage, one of the ordinary vehicles that are everywhere standing about for hire in the principal thoroughfares of Naples. I sprung into this and told the driver to take me as quickly as possible to the Villa Romani, and adding to Vincenzo that I should not return to the hotel all day, I was soon rattling along the uphill road. On my arrival at the villa I found the gates open, as though in expectation of my visit, and as I approached the entrance door of the house, Giacomo himself met me. "How is the child?" I asked him eagerly. He made no reply, but shook his head gravely, and pointed to a kindly looking man who was at that moment descending the stairs--a man whom I insta
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Giacomo

 

eccellenza

 

Vincenzo

 

throat

 

quickly

 

doctor

 

patience

 

perfect

 
stopped
 

heavily


principal

 

thoroughfares

 
Naples
 
standing
 

carriage

 

ordinary

 

vehicles

 

morning

 

uneasy

 

pressed


thought
 

danger

 

smiled

 
sprung
 

Nothing

 

eagerly

 

entrance

 

descending

 

stairs

 

moment


gravely

 

pointed

 

kindly

 
approached
 

expectation

 
adding
 

return

 
Romani
 
driver
 

arrival


rattling
 

uphill

 
difficult
 

freedom

 

meditated

 

walking

 

action

 

original

 
design
 

station