Chapter I.

Otago Witness, Issue 2304, 28 April 1898, Page 41

Chapter I.

Aliens. NE fact is plain: Vittoriua must not come to England." "Why? She, a mere inexperienced girl, knows nothing." " Her presence here will place us in serious jeopardy. If she really intends to visit London, then I shall leave this country at once. I scent danger."

"As far as I can see, we have nothing whatever to fear. She doesn't know half a dozen words of English, and London will be entirely strange to her after Tuscany." The face of the man who, while speaking, liad raised his wineglass was within the zone of light cast by the pink-shaded lamp. He was about 28, with dark eyes, complexion a trifle sallow, well-arched brows, and a dark •moustache carefully waxed, the points' being trained in an upward direction. In his wellcut evening clothes Arnoldo Romanelli was a handsome man, a trifle foppish perhaps, yet his features with their high cheekbones bore the unmistakable stamp of Southern blood, while in his eyes was that dark brilliance which belongs alone to the sons of Italy. - f He selected some grapes'* from the silver fruit, dish, filled a glass with water, and dipped them in, true-bred Tuscan that he was, shook them out upon his plate, and! then calmly contemplated the old blue Etruscan scarabseus on the little finger of his left hand. He .was waiting for his companion to continue the argument. The other, 20 years his senior, was ruddyfaced and clean shaven, with a pair of eyes that twinkled merrily, square jaws denoting considerable determination, and looking alto-. gcih'er a typical Englishman of "the buxom, burly, sport-loving land. Strangely enough, although no one would have dubbed Doctor Filippo Malvano a foreigner, so thoroughly British was his appearance, yet he was an alien. Apparently he was in no mood for conversation, for the habitual twinkle in his eyes had given place to a calm, serious look, and he slowly selected a cigar while the silence which had fallen between them still remained unbroken. The man who had expressed confidence again raised his glass to his lips slowly, regarded his. companion curiously across its edge and smiled grimly. The pair were dining together in a large, comfortable, but secluded houre lying back from the road at the further end of the tpnainl old-world village of Lj'ddington, in Rutland. The long windows of the dining room opened out upon the spacious lawn, the extent of which was just visible in the faint mystic light of the August evening, showing beyond a great belt of elm*, and foliage, of which rustled softly in the fresh night wind, and still further lay the open undulating country. Ever and anon the wind in soft gusts stirred the long lace curtains wlthm the room, and in the- vicinity the sweet mellow notes of the nightingale broke the deep stillness of rurel peace. Boinanelli ate his grapes deliberately, ■nhile the doctor, lighting his long Italian cigar at the candle Ihe servant handed him, rested both elbows on the table and puffed away slowly, still deep in contemplation. " Surely "this girl can be stopped if you really think there is danger," the younger man observed at last. At that instant a second maid entered, and in order lhat neither domestics should understand the drift of their conversation the doctor at once dropped into Italian, answering;

i " I don't merely think there's danger ; I absolutely know there is." "What? You've been warned? " inquiredArnoldo quickly. . The elder man raised his brows and slowly inclined his head. ' - Romanelli sprang to his feet in genuine alarm. His face had grown pale in an instant. "Good heavens!" he gasped in his, own tongue. " {Surely the game has not been I given away ? M j The doctor extended his palms and raised | his shoulders to his ears. When he spoke I Italian he relapsed into all his native ges- I ticulations, but in speaking English he had no accent, and few foreign mannerisms. The two maid-servants regarded the sudden alarm of their master's guest; from London with no little astonishment ; but the doctor, quick-eyed, noticed it, and turning to them he exclaimed in his perfect English : " You may both leave. I'll ring if I require anything more." " As soon as the" door had closed Arnoldo, leaning on the back of his chair, demanded further details from his host. He had "only ai rived from London an hour before, and j half famished had at once sat down \to > •dinner. '.' Be patient," his host said in a calm, strained tone quite umisual 'to him. " Sit? down and 111 tell you." Arnoldo obeyed, sinking again into Iris chair, his dark brows knit, his arms folded on the table, his dark eyes fixed upon those -of the doctor. Outwardly there was nothing very strik; ing about either, beyond the fact that they were foreigners of a well-to-do class. The English of the elder man was perfect, but that of Romanelli was very ungrammatical, and in both their faces a keen observer might | have noticed' expressions of cunning and ! craftiness. Any Italian would have at once \ detected from the manner Romanelli abbreviated his words when speaking Italian that he came from the Romagna, that wild hotbed of lawlessness and anarchy lying between Florence and Forli, while his host j spoke pure Tuscan. . the language of Italy, j The words they exchanged were deep and j earnest . Sometimes they spoke softly, when ! the doctor would smile and stroke his smooth-shaven chin ; at others they conversed with a volubility that sounded to English ears as though they were quarrelling. The matter under discussion was certainly a strangely secret one. j The room was well furnished in genuine old oak, which bore no trace of the Tottenham Court road ; the table was adorned with exbtics, and well laid with cut glass and silver, while the air which entered by the open windows was refreshing after the heat and burden of the August day. ' The simple fact remains that on the day Yittoriria sets foot in London the whole affair must become public property," said Malvano seriously, dipping his fingers into the crimson bowl beside him. " And then? " " Well, safety lies in flight," the elder man answered, slowly gazing round the room. " I'm extremely comfortable here, and have i no de&ire to go wandering again ; but if this j girl really comes, England cannot shelter j both of us." Romanelli looked grave, knit his brows, and slowly twirled the ends of his small waxed moustache. " But how can we prevent her? " he inquired after a pause." ■ " I've been endeavouring to solve that | problem for a fortnight past," his host answered. " While Vittorina is still in Italy and has no knowledge of my address we are safe enough. She's the only person who can expose \is. As for myself, leading the life of a country practitioner, I'm respected by j the whole neighbourhood, dined by the squire and the- parson, and no suspicion of ! mystery attaches to me. I'm buried here as completely as if I were in my grave."' The trees rustled outside and the welcome breeze stirred the curtains within, causing the lamp to flicker. '" Yet you fear Vittorina ! " observed the 1 younger man, puzzled. j "It seems that you have no memory of i i the past?' the other exclaimed a trifle impatiently. "Is it imperative to remind you of the events on a certain night in a house overlooking the sea at Livorno? — of the! j mystery" ! j - '' Basta ! " cried the younger man, frown- \ f ing, his eyes • shining with unnatural fire. i " Can I ever forget them? Enough! All is past. It does neither of us good to rake up that wretched affair. It is over and forgotten. "' " No, scarcely forgotten," the doctor said in a low, impressive voice. " Having regard to what occurred, don't you think that Vittcrina has sufficient incentive to expose us? " " Perhaps," Romanelli answered in a dry dubious tone. "T, hoAvever, confess myself sanguine of our success. Certainly you, as an English country doctor, who is half Italian, and who has practised for years among the Knglish colony in "Florence, have but very little to fear. You are eminently respectable." I The men exchanged smiles. Romanelli glanced at his ring, and thought, that the ancient blue scarabseus hed grown darker — a precursory sign oi evil. "Yes,"' answered Malvano with-dolibera- j tion, " I know I've surrounded myself with ' an air of the most severe respectability, and j T flatter myself that the people here little ' dream of my true j)osition ; but that doesn't j [ affect the serious turn events appear to be j taking. We have enemies, my dear fellow — latter enemie- — in Florence, and as far as I can discern, there's absolutely no way of propitiating them. We- arc, as you know, actually within an ace of success, yet this 1 girl can up--et all our plans and make English I soil too sultry for us ever to tread it again." j A second time he glanced around his com- j fortable dining room, and sighed at the | thought of having to fly through that quiet j I lural spot where he had so ingeniously hidden ; himself. j "It was to tell me this, I suppose, that,! ■ you Avired this morning," his guest said, • '■ taking a cigar from the box. j The other nodded, adding : " I had a letter

last night from Paolo. He has seen Vi* torina." " In Florence? " "No; at Livorno. She's there for th* sea bathing." "What did she say?" " That she intended to teavel straight tt London." "She gave him no reason, I suppose? " Arnolda asked anxiously. " Can we not easily guess the reason? ' l the doctor replied, raising his brows expressively. "If yon only reflect upon the events | of that memorable night you will at once j recognise the extreme importance that she should be prevented from coming to this country." Romanelli nodded, ' and lit his cigar in silence. " Yes ; you are right," he observed at last in a tone of conviction. " I see it all. We arc in peril. Vittorina must not come." " Then the next point to consider is how we can prevent her," the doctor said. A silence deep and complete fell between them. The trees rustled, the clock ticked slowly and solemnly, and the nightingale filled the air with its sweet note. 1 The only way out of the difficulty that I can. see is for me to hazard everything, return to Livorno, and endeavour by some means to compel her to remain in Italy." ' " But can' you? " Eomanelli shrugged his shoulders. "That is a risk, of course, but I'll do my best," he answered. "If I fail — well, then j the game's up, and you must fly." " I would accompany you to Italy," exclaimed the other as he poured out some whisky and filled his glass from a syphon at his elbow ; " but, as you are aware, beyond Modane the groimd is too dangerous." " Do you think they suspect anything at the Embassy? " | " I cannot tell. I called the other day ; when in London, and found the Ambassador ; quite as cordial as usual." "' But if he only knew the truth? " " He can only know through Vittorina/' answered the doctor quickly. "If she rej mains in Italy he will still be in ignorance, j The Ministry at Rome knows nothing,- bub j her very presence here will arouse susj picion." I " Then I'll risk all and go to Italy/ tha younger man said decisively. " I don't ! relish that long journey from Paris to Pisa this weather. Thirty-five hours is too long to be cramped up in that horribly stuffy sleeping car. Thank heaven they've lately taken to selling drinks on board." " X you go you must start to-morrow, and. travel straight through," urged the doctor earnestly. "Don't break your journey, or she may have started before you reach Livorno." " Very well," his young companion answered, stretching himself a trifle wearily, " I'll go right through, as you think it best. If I start from here at 6 to-morrow morningI can leave^Charing Ox - oss at 11 and catch the Rome express out of Paris at 8.30 tomorrow night. This is Friday. I sK&il bein Livorna on Monday morning. Shall : I wire to Paolo? " "No. Take him by surprise. "You'll have a far better chance of success," urged theI other, and, pushing the decanter towards him, added, " Help yourself, and let's drink luck to your expedition." Romanelli obeyed, and both men raising then glasses saluted each other in Italian. Tlie younger man no longer wore the air of gay recklessness habitual to him, but took a gulp of the drink with a forced, harsh laugh. In ■ the eyes of the usually merry village I doctor there was also an expression of doubt and fear. Romanelli was too absorbed in contemplating the risks of returning to Italy (to notice the strange sinistei expression j which for a single instant settled upon his ! companion's face, otherwise he might not { have been so ready to adopt all his sugges- ! tions. Upon the countenance of Doctor Malvano was portrayed at that moment an evil passion, and the strange glint in Ms steely eyes would in itself have been sufficient proof to the close observer that he intended playing his companion false. " Then you'll leave Seaton by the 6.30, eh? " lie inquired at last, after watching tha smoke of his cigar curl slowly away through ths zone of softly -tempered light. Romanelli nodded. The doctor touched the gor-g and tha maid entered. " Fletcher," he said, " the signor must be called at half-past 5 to-morrow. Tell Good1 win to have the trap ready to go to Seaton. i station to catch the 6.30.'' The maid withdrew, and when the dooi ! had closed Malvano, his elbows on the table , I his cold gaze fixed upon his guest, suddenly asked in a low , intense voice : " Amoldo, in this affair we must have n» secrets from each other. Tell me the truth. Do you love Vittorina? " The foppish young man started slightly, but quickly recovering himself he answered : "Of course not. What absurd fancy causes you to suggest that? " " Well — she is very pretty, you know," the doctor observed ambiguously with a good-humourad smile. The young man looked sharply at his host. " ¥"ou mean," he said, "that I might make lov3 to her. and thus prevent her from troubling us, eh? " m The other added in the affirmative, adding, '"You might even marry her." j At that instant the maid entered bearing I a telegram, which a lad on a cycle had brought from Uppingham for the doctor's guest. ! The latter opened it, glanced at its few faintly -written words, then frowned and placed it in his pocket without comment. " Bad news? ". inquired Malvano.- " You look a bit scared." "Not at all, not at all," he laughed. "Merely a. little affair of the heart, that's all," and he laughed in a happy, self-satisfied way |as lie swallowed the remainder of the j whisky. Arnolxlo was fond of the society of the' fair sex, therefore the doctor, shrewd and quid: of observation, was fully .satisfied I thai the message was from one or other of his many feminine acquaintances. '■ Well, induce Vittorina to believe thab ■ you love her, arid all wjll be plain sailing," jhe said. "You are just the sort of fellow who can fascinate a woman and compel is&S

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to act precisely as you wish. Exert on her j all the powers you possess. " _ 1 " I'm afraid it would be useless," his com- i toanion answered in a dry, hopeless tone. j " Bah ! Your previous love adventures have already shown you to be a past-master j in the arts of flattery and flirtation. Make | a bold bid for fortune, my dear fellow, and J "you're bound to succeed. Come, let's take a turn across the lawn. It's too warm indoors to-night." Rom'anelli uttered no word, but rose at his host's bidding and followed him out. He felt ' himself staggering, but, holding his breath, braced himself up, and, struggling, managed to preserve an appearance of outward calm. How, he wondered, would Doctor MalArano act if he knew the amazing information .■which had just been conveyed to him. He drew a deep breath, set his lips tight, and shuddered. His cigar fell from his nerveless fingers apon the grass.