Chapter II.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8516, 9 November 1889, Page 6

Chapter 11.

I had been singing in the Proneli capital, and from there passed Ou to tjio scene of some of my oarliest successes — La Scala, Milan, which was then occupied by a kind of •'•' scratch " compnny, foremost among whom waG a countryman of my own, known as Sieno.- Gartoni, who had lately gained foa-e on (he Italian stage. . . . On the last night of Siguor Certoni's engagement I occupied a quiet scat in the stage-box, "Sonnambultt" being the oppra. Its light music suited him admirably, and i he excelled in mezzo coloring. At the J end of. one puraee, wbich he sane; con passionate, I heard some commotion in a neighboring bos, and, ascertaining that a youog lady had fainted, I went round with the object of offering assist. ance> She was a pale-faced, fragile girl, and her mother seemed a weak, nerveless woman. Accompanying them to their carriage, she told me her_ daue'arpi' had for some time been subject to fits of melancholy ; she had bten ordered to Italy for change, and as Bhe had a passion for muBic she had been taken to the opera as a laßt reaomce. Early the following moi?uing Dr. Frascr called upon me. "My dear Beeves,' 1 said hp, "you have rendered a sigual service to a patient of mine." " Of jours ? " I echoed in surprise. " Yes ; the young lady you gave assistance to last night is a souroa of no little concern to me. She and her mnther speak warmly o( your kindness. Do come over with ma and call upon them." " With pleasure," I answered. " But who are they?" My friend entered jnto a loag ttatement of tho circumstances of the c-iae, aud ended by saying, "If her tendency to melancholia cannot be cured, it will ; undoubtedly prove fatal in a short / time."

Betimen, I found myself talking to tho girl'a parents, and it Eeomed tn me that her father, though aprarently a brusque, hard-natuied tuna, felt his daughter's condition far more acntoly than did her weak, insipid mother. "Oh," he said to me almost piteously, " I would willingly resign all I possess could I recall the past and see my child happy once more." And takiDg Frnser and myself into hia confidence, he told us the whole story of the why and wheydfora of his daughter's state of despondency, wh;ch change of scene and travelling could But alieyiate ; nay, it even seemed more pronounced sinco listening to " Sonnambula " the previous night. . ■ The old man's story surprised a«i much an it interested me, and on leaving tho hotel, in company with Eraser, lm answers to certain questions of mine confirmed a decision I nad alrpady C °'" An°gus," I declared, " I'll cure that girl yet." . "You! "he said, surprised. "Yes. 1 niaka no rrjlehßloni to medical lore, but " _ _ " If you can help the porr girl in any way/ ho observed, " I shall be only too happy.'' „ , , T " But shall I get tho fees 1 asked I, laughiogly. "My dear Reeves," he said scrfoasly "it is not a trivial matter. Braifl mlachief we oau do li'.tle to arrest : but if you can a'lieviate her condition in any way, do so, for heaven's sate." " When shall you call upon them again?" , '•To-morrow morning 1 , r-nless summoned earlier/ " "Well, say to-morrew, Freser, end let me come with you."

" Agreed, my dear fellow," said A.ng>!s, " and a thousand tbanks. lam do.oply interested in her cape. Remember, she ia an only child." . That night I slept little, but thought of the past and of the chequered ways of life ; and next day, accompanied by kind-hearted Angus and another friend, I called upon the family._ The parents received us in their drawing-room; the girl, who seemed we.-.ker than ever, lay upon a coucb. After we had exchanged salutations, I said, " Permit me to introduce Signer Certrni." " Why, surely," cried the astonished father, "It is " . "Benry Sherstone ! " pasv.onntely exclaimed tbe poor invalid, rubbing into the outstroiched arms of the supposed stgnor. . , By fur the most natonn.hed and delighted of all was the soi disant bank clerk himself. It was the realisation of his life-dream— a dream that he bad never dared to hopo might come true, and there is now no hapier couple than Henry Shsrstone and his wife, nee Constance Winthrra