THE SPY OF THE SECRET THREE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5199, 20 April 1888, Page 4

THE SPY OF THE SECRET THREE.

■♦ CHAPTER 111. THE INQUISITOR AND THE SPY. For several days Alonza of Verona moved abroad, but little. Beppo, who hud been intrusted with the secrets of his master, was out, day and night, searching for some clue to the missing maiden; but as yet he had found none. The Count Gonsalvo had also made search, with a like fruitless result. "Do not be discouraged yet, my dear Prince," said tho count, as the two sat, one evening, in the library of tho Verona Palace. "If Zenella is in Venice, we will find her. But you must not bury yourself here. If you would escape suspicion, minglo with your fellows, and put on a free and careless look. Have you visited the Casino yet?" "No." " Theu let us go there this evening. 1 have tickets. Come—tho play and the music may cheer you." " I do not play, Count." " But you can see others play. Ido not myself court the fickle goddess, though I sometimes throw down a few sequins for appearance sake. Will you not go ?" •* Y es —anything to please you, Adrian.' "Youhave masks?" " A score of them." " Then let us equip ourselves, and go. Tho urinco arose and opened a door of a large oaken cabinet, and took therefrom a number of silken masks. He selected for himself a black one, and tho count took the same color. Shortly afterwards they buckled on their swords, and descended to the canal, ■where the count's own gondola was in waiting. "Haveyou a good sword?" asked Gonsalvo, after they had taken their scats. \ •'As good as ever caino from tho most renowned forge of Damascus. But why do you aek that. You do not apprehend the need of such defence at the Casino ?" " Not at all. A sword is simply a friend at a pinch; :uid though we may havo occasion for its service only once in a lifetime, yet "when that one need shall come, we want the blade to be a trusty one.'' " I can trust mine, Adrian." " And if your hand has not lust its aforetime cunning, I think you can trust that also." * . " I am not entirely out of practice. From this tho conversation took a general turn until they reached the marble steps of the Casino, about which were gathered a largo number of gondolas : but our friends ■ had no difficulty in effecting a landing, and at the principal entrance they delivered their tickets, and received small checks in their stead, which they were obliged to give to the door-keeper of tho great hall. The main hall of the Casino was vast in extent, i" and gorgeous in its decorations. Tho walls •were drapud with hangings of embroidered Bilk and velvet, tho high tirchwl roof was supported by marble pillars of rare quality and exquisite polish, while the light from hundieds of silver lumps oast a fairy-like glow through the place. The tables of the bankers were set near to the , walls, mid upou their green covers wero exposed large piles of gold and silver, besides unopened bags of coin bearing tbo broad neal of the State Treasurer. The players were mostly masked, though tho old frequenters of the place were well known to each other, despite their disguises. In ;i gitllerj. was stationed a band of music, which, from time to time, enlivened the scene with melodious strains.

Tho prince had not been long in tho hall when he noticed a black mask, behind which gleamed a p-iir of eyes whose light was intense and evil. It was not a warm, but a cold, glittering lustre, like tho sparkle of tbo eyes of a snake, or a basilisk. The wesu-er of the mask was rather above tho medium height, with a slight stoop in the shoulders,and wore a black cloak, the ample folds of ■which descended to his feet. The prince noticed this man, not only because of bis peculiar look, but because those glittering eyes had been keenly resting upou himself. " Count, wiio i» that man of the black mask and long cloak?" ho asked of his companion. . "Where?"

" Ho bus just stopped at the table in tho corner. Ho lias been watching me." " That is nothing to wonder at," said tho count, lightly. " Your garb, as well us your general appearance, betokens you a stranger here. If you had wished to avoid observation you should have left oil that richly embroidered tunic, and exchanged your jewelled baldric for a common swordbelt." " But," pursued Alonzo, " others have eyed me eharply, and I have not given them a thought; but this man's glance is evil. Do you not know him ?'' *• He is evidently in deep disguise," returned Adrian, "though I certainly have seen those shoulders before, Ah! ho has stopped at the bank of the Jew, Beniadad." " Will he play, think you ?" " Ben-had ad's is not a bank for play. He sits here to exchange money, and to advance gold on good securities. His is a lucrative business." " Ben-hadad ?" mused the prince. "My father used to have business with him. Is he not the Jew who lives in tho old house upon the square of the Ghetto, near to tho church of Saint Jeremiah ?" " The same, Prince." " I remember him well. His beard has grown somewhat more silvery, though I should say he wears the selfsame gabardine that draped his venerable form in the other years. I look upon him as an old friend, for I know he was a friend to my father. I must call upon him " " Not at his hous-o, Prince."

"Why not?" "Because," returned Gonsalvo, with a light laugh, " there might be danger. It is whispered that he has a daughter as beautiful as a seraph; and her voice, when she sings, is like the tuneful melody of the angels. Men who have ccen her call her 'Tub Peabl or the Ghetto.' If you would retain the image of Zenella in your heart, venture not into the presence of Beuhadad's fair daughter." Alonzo laughed lightly in turn as he replied : " Your counsel is wasted upon mo, dear Count. Not all the beauty of all the fnbled houris of paradise combined could entice me from love of Zenella. But if this Jewess be as fair and beautiful as you say, it cannot be that her father exposes her to the gaze of his visitors." "True, Alonzo. She is only seen by accident; and I doubt H the old moneylender would suffer such, as you to come in her way." " Such as me, Count?'

"Pshaw! Do you not comprehend? Does a mun drop *parl« upon tinder if ho would not have ii firo ? But see, the black mask is in close conversation with the old Jew. Wait you here while Igo and see if I can discover who lie is.'

While tho count was gone Alonzo de Verona was left to his own rejections. The games of the players at the surrounding tables had no interest for him. Ho thought first of tho young Jewess of whom his friend had spoken* He knew that Gonsalvo was not an enthusiast, nor yet a seeker after female society. In his social habits he was re i; giously moral, and held pure virtue in high esteem. Hence his praise of this Jewess had weight. What could this Pearl of the Ghetto be like? Could she be as beautiful as was his own Zcnolla ? "Pshaw J What is tho daughter of Benhadad to me?" So said tho prince to himself, and then he thought of Gonsalvo, " Adrian is only a year older than I, and yet he wears, at times, tho scdatenoss of age, .and tho solemnity of long and harrowing experience. At one time ho is gay and frank, and at another thoughtful even to gloominess. And he gives me counsel as though he wero my ancient. Verily, my friend is a, puzzle to me." The prince was thus soliloqiriing when he felt a hand upon his shoulder, and when he looked up he beheld thu mask of liis companion. "Ah, Count, you Lave been oxpeditious." "Yes, Alonzo; I had need to bear the tones of that man's voice but once in order to look beneath the mask lie wears."

" You aro serious. Adrian. Who is he ?'' " Come this way." And the count drew the prince beneath the musician's gallery. "Alonzo, that man is Riualdi, one of the Secret Three!"

The prince shuddered as shudders one who has trodden upon an asp. "Do the State Inquisitors frequent the Casino ?" bo usked.

" There is no places iv Venice where they may not at timea be found," returned the count; " and no man can tell how many of {heir spies may bo at this very moment in Jhe hall. Ha ! -whom have we herer

This exclamation was called forth by the i appearanco of a new-comer at the door, who wore a full mask of black crape, and whose ample cloak of coarse cloth was as sombre as was his mask. He was of medium height, with broad, sloping shoulders, and his eyes gleamed like the eyes of a cat. And his tread, too, was like a cat's. He moved with a creoping, noiseless step; his head bent slightly forward, as though the instinot were ever present with him to hide his face, while his quick, keen glances were shot out upon either side,' catching a view of everything he passed. The prince drew back as the strango mask approached, but not until he had felt tho gleaming of those cat-like eyes flash upon him. "Demonio !" he gasped, after the sombre mask had gone on, " I think I have seen those eyes once before." "Aye," responded the count, who baa been watching the new-comer, " there are no other eyes liko them in Venice, nor is there another step like that. Can you call to mind where you have seen them ? " Yes," said Alonzo. " Unless lam greatly mistaken, those same eyes peered at me from tho landing of Saint Michael, on the occasion of my arrival in Venice." "You are right, Prince. The man came upon the landing wkilo wo stood there. He is a spy of the Secret Three, and his name, Dagolfo." " Bernardo has told mo of him. It was he who worried and fretted my father by his persistent espionage. Who is he ? Can you tell me P" "It is whispered," replied tho count, " that he was for years a bold and. recHess oatlaw, his soul burdened with crime, and his hands stained with blood; and tho Inquisition employed him because he suited their puipose. Beware of him, Alonzo, for be sure, if his eyes are once fixed upon you, your name is doomed to tho Lion's Mouth."* "Do you think the Three can know of Zenella?" queried the prince, with a shudder. " They know all that thoy wish to know," returned Gonsalvo, moodily. " A secret to be concealed from them must bo buried from tho knowledge of your nearest and dearest friends. And, moreover, your father was probably caused to suffer on the girl's account." "My course is plain," said Do Verona, decisively. " I will find Zenella, and then leave Venice forever." "God grant you may succeed!" responded the count, fervently. "But see! The spy has found his master. Bo suro there's something in the wind."

* Upon tho outer wall of the office of the State Inquisition was fixed tho head of a lion in brass, the open mouth of which communicated with a secret box within. Into this Lion's Mouth the spies of the Three dropped their notes of accusation and information. And, further, any citizen might thus accuse a neighbor or an enemy without being personally known. [to be continued.] *