BY THE LIGHT OF LOVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13393, 23 January 1907, Page 10

BY THE LIGHT OF LOVE.

BY ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT. Author of By Right of Sword." " For Love or Crown." " In the Name of a Woman," " The Greatest Gift," etc.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] CHAPTER VIII. ANGKLO, Til K i;LA.SSHLO\VKK. " Batista ! Batista' The call was loud, imperious, bullying, impatient, and the caller, a tall, powerful Italian, with a great shock head of tumbling black hair, and a heavy face, with unusually small and very scintillating, beady, black eves, tossed his worn, greasy slouch hat. on to a chair in the corner, and frowned to find his wife absent.

" I am coming," answered a woman's soft voice. Light, hurrying steps were heard on the stairs, and a mild, gentle-looking, shrinking woman came in. her large, dark, fear-filled eyes glancing in apprehension at the man's angry face.

"Gossiping again; and gossiping, gossiping always it is, Batista. Am 1 never to cease warning you?" "1 was only upstairs with Madame Cachette, Angelo. The sweet child, little Bijou, is worse ; 1 was but nursing it." "And gossiping, I'll swear it." Batista made no reply, but set tin; dinner of macaroni cheese and fish on the table in silence. While she was doing this a, boy of six came clambering up the stairs, shouting in his shrill, piping voice for his mother. Finding his father already in the room he stopped, glanced at him fearsomely, and went to the woman and held her dress. " I'm hungry, mother." whispered the boy. " Little pig." said the lather, roughly. " Little pig Paolo. That's what you are. Come here, thi.s side, ' for the child had dragged a chair to the table by his mother's side, and was clambering into it. his eyes glistening at the sight, of the steaming macaroni.

" He always sits here," ventured Batista. "Mission of fiends - ! he shall sit where 1 please," cried the man, fiercely; and lie picked up the chair, boy and all. in one hand, lifting him high in the air. till the boy cried out with fright. " .Stop crying, or I'll drop you. little pig. That's right, when the child stopped whimpering. " Now you'll know that it's me and not your mother you must obey. I'm master here. Now eat"," and he helped him to the daintiest morsels of the food. The mother had • looked on aghast, but afraid to utter a word.

The child meanwhile, despite his hunger, was too frightened to eat, and then his father noticed it and turned angry again. " Eat your food," he said, roughly. " You've frightened him wit h your roughness. Angelo, ' said Batista, and she leant over and caressed the child with her hand. " Try and eat. Paolo, and the boy. with a. furtive glance of love at her, and struggling hard to keep hack his tears, began his dinner. For some minutes nothing more was said until the father had finished and leant back, smoking and thinking, and sipping the colfee his wife put before him. Paolo sat on wishing but afraid to move, and nursing a kitten which he tried to keep out of his father's sight. But the kitten, smelling the fish, escaped from him. and putting its paws oil the table clawed a piece of fish left on the boy's plate. "Mission of fiends!" thundered the man, with his favourite oath. " What does this mean, Batista'" And as the child tried to drag the kitten down the father seized it. In the struggle, for the boy would not give it no without an effort to save it, the man was'scratchtd, and uttering a bitter imprecation lie gave the child a. buffet which sent him sprawling off his chair, and taking the kitten in his powerful hands he squeezed it passionately, his eyes ablaze with rage, and then deliberately wrung its neck and tossed the dead body into the hearth. Paolo, unmindful of his own hurt, ran and picked it up and fondled it ; and when he found it wits dead his child s face grew crimson and his great eyes blazed like his father's, and, screaming with passion, he ran at him and kicked him.

"I hate you ! I hate you \on beast, you beast, you beast!" lie screeched in his shrill passion. But the man laughed, and picking him up kissed him, though the child was kicking him and raining blows with his tiny lists 011 his face all the time, and screaming at him at the top of his voice in impotent rage. This made the man laugh all the louder. The scene was at it.i height when the door, which stood ajar, was pushed open and a nurse entered, ihe boy ran to the newcomer and caught at her uniform, and then climbed into her arms.

"He has killed the kitten you gave me. 1 hate him! He is a beast! he cried: and then his grief outweighing his anger he burst into a wild passion of tears'. Meanwhile, husband and wife stood silent in some awkwardness. I lie man continued to laugh, partly out of bravado, partly to cover the embarrassment which he always felt, in some measure in Nurse Eleanor's presence. " I didn't know you had given it to Paolo." he said, when at length she looked up from the boy and bent her eves upon him.

" I ought to have asked you before 1 gave it him. But did you really kill it — and before the child'.'" The voice was as grave and steady as the look. "It was worth it. for if roused the demon in him. He lilt and kicked me like a little iiend: didn't he. Batista'.' It was good," and he laughed again. " In the eyes of the child it was a murder." said Eleanor, gravely. •' I can do as I like in my own In.use," he answered, sullenly. Not in England, Mr.' Cavita. In England this act of yours is a crime to be. punished with imprisonment.'' The wife burst into tears, and her husband scowled at her. "A nice fuss about a beast of a cat," he said. " It is the child I am thinking of." returned Eleanor. "1 am going upstairs to Madame Cachetic, and will take Paolo with me. 1 wish to see you before I leave the house, Batista, about poor little Bijou," and without more she went away, carrying Paolo with her. As soon as she was gone the man turned angrily to Batista. "Don't stand blubbering there, woman. Curse her interfering, prying ways. You'd better get, her to hold her tongue, or there may be other than cats' necks twisted in this business." "She is gentleness itself, and—" " Mission of fiends with her gentleness! I know that kind of gentleness. She conies here prying and spying—by the Cross, is she a spy?" and he bent his eyes searchingly on his wife's face. " Have you ever dropped a hint or syllable to her?" "No, Angelo. she answered, in a low voice, shrinking from him. The signor was speaking about her only yesterday. Come here, here to the window, so that 1 can see your face." He put his hand on her shoulder roughly and then held her arm in a grip that closed on it lik*» a vice, while lie stared into her eyes. "You know your oath answer me plainly. How does she think we live?"

"That I'm a tailoress and you're a glassblower."

"And that we're very poor?" "Very poor." " Has .->lu- seen you always at. work when she's come here?'' " Nearly always, Angelo." Curse her! I wish she'll never come," he muttered. " Has she ever questioned you alxuit your work, and- -and about the Continent? You know what I mean." " No. never." This was not true, but Hatista was afraid. "Has .-die ever seen the t>iguor here— lieie or litre?"' "Not unless you've been here. I think." "Don't think, tell the truth," and his grip 011 her arm tightened, and he began to twist i' till she winced with the pain. Who does she think he is? And what lie does here?'' " She has never told me." If thought you weren't telling the truth— he. muttered between his teeth, faivine hex arm a further twist. " You ww

how I treated that cursed, cat—id do the same to you, Batista, aye, and worse. Batista turned white and faint with fear and the pain of her arm. "You must stop her coining here. It's the only way. ' "I fear I am intruding upon domestic happiness. Love-making should be done in secret." oroke in a smooth, pleasant voice at the moment, and the two turned quickly in some alarm. "The love of husband for wife and wife for husband is the most beautiful sight in the world, and never more beautiful than at the moment of the interchange of sweet confidences." "Oh. it's you, signer," said Angelo. in a tone of relief, and he released his wife's arm. '

" Signora Cavita, I kiss your hand." and the new-comer, (Jesare Breschia. a sparelybuilt man, with a long, thin, hatchet-shaped head and very largely, prominent features, heavy at the brows and tapering to an abnormally long and pointed chin, took tho hand which Angelo dropped, and was carrying it to his lips when he started at seeing the mark of the man's lingers. " Love can be strenuous, dear lady, it seems. '

"I didn't hear you corning," said Angelo, uneasily, for he understood the by-play.

" Silence of movement. Angelo. is as great a. virtue in me ;us dulness of hearing is a failure of yours." He turned his cold, bluegrey. penetrating eyes oil the big man, and smiled. He did everything with a smile. His wide, thin lips, like his cold eyes, could talk without words. His words were always honeyed and his voice carefully sweettoned and* pleasant. "Your love tor your charming wife should be less strenuous, Angelo." Batista drew away from him with a shiver of fear. She hated him.

"I was telling her to hold her gossiping tongue arid not to have that Englishwoman, Nurse Eleanor, that you warned me about, prying and poking bete." . '•Ah! Angelo, Angelo. Thou dreamer! cried the signor, throwing lip his white taper-lingered hands in affected protest. " I bis good wife of yours must have friends, and where could better friends be found for her than the nurse-angel, whose presence is the sun of this desolate quarter? A sweeter woman, a nobler nature, a more gentle heart than that of the good Nurse Eleanor—ah, here she is!" His quick ear had caught the sound of iter footfalls on the stairs, and as lie was speaking she came in, carrying the boy. On seeing the signor Paolo, broke out of Eleanor's arms and ran to liim with a glad cry. He had the quality of attracting children, "and he tossed the boy up and kissed him. "I hope I am not, intruding." said Kleanor, seeing Angelo'cs frown at her entrance. " I can conceive of 110 household where that would be possible, nurse,'' said the signor, putting the boy down and bowing. " 1 go into many houses of my poor exiled countrymen here, and nowhere do I hear any but words of rare praise of the angel nurse. '

Eleanor watched him steadily, and turned to 'Batis'ta. "I have brought Paolo to see his fault, Batista. Paolo!" she called to the boy. In response the child went to his father slowly and unwillingly, and begged his pardon. •'.Some little trouble asked the signer.

" L killed Paolo's kitten because ; t. was stealing, and he Hew at aie like a young tiger, ' said Angelo, flinch relieved secretly at finding the talk of imprisonment was over. "My Paolo!" exclaimed the signor, in a tone of dismay. " I loved it," said the boy, whimpering. "Angelo, Angelo! Thy fellow-workmen may well 'be fearful of thy great strength. He is terrible in his strength, angel nurse, but a heait of gold—a heart of gold." "I am culled Xur-e Eleanor, not angel nurse." "Angel and nurse, nurse and angel, what are they but interchangeable terms?" lie replied, smiling ;• always (smiling. "But now. iiiou great bear of an Angelo, we must- to work." Angelo started and glanced at him as though in protest and surprise, and in answer the signer added : " We must go, and leave Nurse Eleanor to complete her sweet work with the dear Paolo. Thou must tear thyself from thy dear and ever discreet wife." And at the word discreet the blue eyes glanced meaningly at Batista. Eleanor had been a. wondering observer of the scene, and when the two men were gone turned to Batiste, who looked white and very scared. " Paolo loves the signor. Who is lie?" asked Eleanor. "Hush!" and Batista crept to the door and listened. " They have gone downstaiis. I hate him. and fear linn as much as I hate him. He is the evil genius of us all. Heaven help us." She had gone to the window, and as Eleanor joined her the signer turned and looked up. and seeing them at the window waved his white hand gracefully and smiled. "His wolds were kind," said Eleanor. " Words!" cried Batista. "He does not speak with his tongue. You must read his eyes, his hard lips, his acts, himself. Heaven help us and all who are in his power. ' " You are excited, Batista. This trouble with the boy lias iqwet you." "You are an angel. Nuise Eleanor.-even (hough the signer said it," broke in Batista. " But you must not come here any more ; it would Ik- dangerous for you. Promise me. " Must not come here? Dangerous for me? What can you mean?" Batista glanced round at the child, and she drew Eleanor to the furthest corner by the door befoie she answered in a whisper: " 1 mean what I say. He thinks 1 may tell you things." " Hut I should never dream of prying into anv of vour secrets."

"He would think I wild you, and that would tie as bad.''

\ on frighten 1110, Batista—nut for my- <' !I but for you. If you are in his terror can't I help you?" If ho believed, only believed, it would be everything. He* lm.s 110 heart, no mercy, 110 thought, no care for anything but—but it. Xone of them have, and the weight of it is killing rue,'' she moaned in dt\s|)iir. "I wish 1 was (lead—if ] could die without pain." "Hut Paolo?" said Eleanor. cainfstlv. " -v.lt, yes, I'aolo. Thank heaven li is 100 young to know anything; but he'll know some day. and heroine pall of it all. Ah, the intolerable agony of an ever-haunt-ing fear, a never-ceasing dread of—'' The words died on the lips, which changed to the livid hue of death as her eves were strained towards the door. Eleanor, turning quickly, saw that the signor had collie back, noiselessly us usual, and that his cold-blue eyes were riveted upon Batista's panic-paralysed face. "A thousand pardons for interrupting the sweet offices of consolation to the distressed and wearied sou!." he said, with a smile, coining further into the room ; "hut a pour countrywoman of mine, Francesco, the grandmother of poor little Orjilioo, the accordion lad, is asking for Nurse Eleanor, and as 110 one else was at- hand 1 volunteered as the unworthy messenger to ask you to come to her.' " " 1 will go to her when I leave here,'' said Eleanor. ''A thousand more pardons, but her need is pressing, and his eyes said lie would not leave Eleanor alone with Batista, any longer. "1 will see you again later, Batista.' said Eleanor. " (Jood-bve. Paolo." " Don't come back to-day, nurse, 1 1 am going out," said Batista, and with a feeling of bewilderment Eleanor went awav witli the signor. What was the fnybtery at which Batista hinted? And what the danger she dreaded ? ITo be continued on Saturday next.)