The Lure of at Woman

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13847, 6 November 1918, Page 5

The Lure of at Woman

(By HAROLD McGRATH) 1 "^n "~^l """""ii -IF—""" 1 ir°i

CHAPfTER XlX'i (continued)

TWO GEiNTLEiiEN' FR^i

VERONA.

"Pietro," ©aid OWally, ( teetering, ''have you ever waited lor motfej from Otuonae?" "Piietro puffed studiously, separating each, word' with all .thecare of a naturalist openriaig the wiuga of eomii •new' butterfly. He made a negative eign. ' ".Well, don't ever wait. There's nothing to it. But I've got ah ' id«a." .... .-. . .., „'..'. .. Pietro expressed som© surprise. "Ye®, and a good idea, too. If any touristy com© to-day, I propose to ghow them round the place." O'Mially was quite in earnest. , Pietro's ayes flashed amgrily. "No, nol Mine, all minie!" ■ . "Oh, I'm not going to roib you; I'll give you the tips, aanico. . Wihiat I wamt is the fun of the thing. Gotmprendery?" ' Pietro understood; that was differenit. If his Excellency would'pay over to him the receipts, he could conduct the tourists as often as he pleased.. Yes. t .To., him .it „wi« tiresjwne. Most people -were fools. "Letja begin the lesson, ,then." "Come* sfca^' Pietro,' lifting' his pipe. : , „ "ghat's howdy do,*" said O'MMly. "Hc^v is your wife?" "That ees Come ®ta vostra I" Pialuse. ; , rv . , }i , ( ., , < ... "oie tempo fa?" eaid Pietiro mid denly. O'Mially frowned and jamimed down the coal in has pipe.4 "Wlho-— 'no, how I—is tihe- weatfher.' Wiho can my I Che lo sa?" "Bene!" ,„ ; ... .. .. . ;i ..,,,/ .. iVi . . Solemnly they went over the same ground. To" be sure, O'Mally always failed to get the right twist on the final vowels, 'but fee could make himself understood, and tihat was the main thong. It. was ariare moment to liitri a<b night to staiike Smith' dximb by asking in ItaMan for a. match., a cigar, or.. a book. Smith wondered how he did it ■; but when asked, to join the, paiml&ry class at the porter's lodge, he always excused himself by saying vthatt he was deep in the writing of a comedy, / which wag true. If there was a play in one's, systems the Villa Ariadne was sure to bring ,it out. . Having finished the lesson for tihafc day, they shared the flash, of wine. "it is" m, PaeWsas» O'Mally.: "Vecchioy , aivticato,'' respomded 1 Pietiro wi# gi^ve'satisfaction; "Hold on, now; this, is no: lessen 1. Yori\ talk ; ,Englisih s . Now, abjout^this guide 'busipess. You. % will | let" iriebjj guide if I turn over tine profits;' that is agreedl" ■ „; ; ., ; . „,. , / „..., "Yes." Pietro wished tihe flask' had .been twice as large. . "ill right,: that's fixed. By tjie ' way^ Pietro, d 0 you' eiver see the priijicess?" ' - ; Piefero looked into the bowl of his. rpipel "Noj ..■sne' hot come' here; merer-" ;■„■ .' .;■; ■■ : ..... ''Hum! I should, if I owned a. place Mice this." "Trouble.", "Trouble? How?" "1 not k»ow. But trouble she come bime-by." "Rats!" There wasi not a cloud . in the sky, so fa,r as O'Mially could seel And what trouble could possibly befall theirii? x "S^l", said,Pietro;. .'.,.,,. The porter's bell rang loudly. "Tourists!!" whispered O'iMatiy, sliding off the bencth and buttoning up hag coat. "Reanemiber lam the guide; you get the lire." Surely Pietro . understood, but the was nervous, doubting the ability of this, notice to'-idemJanid' tft© right suini' for y his labour. O'Mally settled his oap on straight and went to the gates and; opened them. A party of five limericiaais stod outside—two* men, two women', aindj a girl of twelve or fourteen. The whole party wore that eager look, now familiar. to> O'Mally,,of persons who intended to see everything" if 'they eventually cliexi rs• '/This is t^ tM Maxlne?" ask, led one of tihe women. She wore eyeglasses and had ,a bitter eSjp.i'essiOTi'. "It is," said d'Maliy, touching his oapv ' ; , 5, . , , ."He speaks, English!" brfe>d the woman, turning joyfully to the others. "We swish, to see tihe villa and the park." "The villa is, now, occupied, signora.," replied O'Mally 1; "but you are to see the paa^k and gardens." "How much?" asked one of the men. . . _ ■ ...,.'_ ■_ "Cinquamty," said o'Mally; tihen, cwrreotittg himself, "for each per son." "Ten cents? Two lire fifty? Wihy, tlhis is dowmright extortion.!" declared the wuimiaii with the eyeglasses. She was vehement, too. O'Mally gave vent> to a perfect Italian shrug, ana put a hand out suggestively toward tin© gates. "Oh, come, dear," protested, one of tiie men wearily; "yoii've dragged.,us here from Fiesole a.nd I'm not going'.back without seedng 1 what's to be se**p.

"That's like you men; always willing to be robbed rather than stand upon, your rights. But I vow that you weak men will ruin travel by giving in all the time." The man at whom this brief jeremiad wag, hurled painfully counted out two lire fifty, whidh was immediately transferred to the palm of the guide, who usihered the wayfarers in. Solemnly Pietro watdhed them pass wondering winat the" terms were. ■O'Mially led the party to the fouintain. "What's this?" asked tihe woman. "This," O'Mally began, with a careless' wave of the hand, "is the famed fountain' by Donatello. It was originally owned by Catiheriihe d'Medissy. The Borgiag, stole it from iher, and Italy and France nearly caime to war over it." "Tihe Borgias?" doubtfully. "Were these two families oontemp'oraineous?" "They were," scornfully. "Thee© Borgias were not the ihead of the faanily, however. Finally it fell into the hands of the first Prince d' Monty Biancihy, and it has stood where you see it for three hundred years. It is considered the finest specimen of its kind. . The Italian Government has offered ..fabulous siuim^ for it." "I. thought the Government..could : foiW."..^ sale of these" tihinigs|" "There has been some litigation over this propei"ty, consequently the Governoneni can do nothing till the court® have settled the matter," reoited O'Mally glibly. "Oh." The quintet consulted their guide books', but before they haid. located the, .paragraph^ referriing to isko> work, 6*Mally was- curiiiingly leaStiiig tliem on to tihe Delia Robbias wjhicfi^hnincr in tihe niined pavilion. With a graiid yet familiar air he deblaime'l. over ivhe marvellous beauties o r th.g . peculiar clay witih an eloquence whioh wag, little short of masterful. He passed on to the antique marbles, touciKiiijg them lightly arid explaining how this one wast Nero's, that one -Caligula's, that one Tib anus" 1 He lied go easily and gracefully tb-i", W'hWever it resited, the tomb of Ananias, must hiave rockied: And wSiehever his< victims tried to coir.pai'e his sta,tements with those in th? guid'e-ibocfa, he vra& extolling toinf; other treasure. They, finally pit the guide-books' under their ai-mfe ■ and trusted in the kindness of Provilenc*. "Do you know," said tihe woman who had not yet spoken, ' !y(»u speftk Bnglisih rema^taibly^ well ?. .. There i s an accent I do riot quite tiiioev stand.",: ;'■ , ■„. ■ .-•.. , . , O'Mially,. shivered for a. nv>ni«'i.t. Wa® site going to sparing Dai^o or /hitii:? "I 1 aiii I'taiian," he said easil/----"*T-^/'bowti;-li^wweit- in C'oli^v Clare; My father arid, mother were ' iniffiigrahts to li^efendt'' < W.% fate was a® solemn as aii owl?s; "That explains it." „ , O'Mally took, a iiew- lea^e .Ue. "Now let me show; you the H&<lrian mosaic, from the Villa Tijidriaii in Trh&li, out of Roliie." He j.)vept ibaok tiie sandy "Is if ft ii::ijii«ificent?" "Looks like a linoletiJi. ratte>n." wasi •tfie comment of orie of the n.^n. "You alre not far fro'o ri^'iit," said O'Mially. "It wai- from t:.:s very mosiaic tfhat Amerio >n isnuJtu'Tis were originally designed." > ; "Indeed!" said the woman with the glasses. "Yes, sis?nora.." "Ma," whisi>ei*eid the girl, ''i'sk hirin for one of lihose buttons " The stage-whisper was overheard by O'Mally. "These button.'; he explained, "cost a lira, each : '-lit d tihe Biignorina/ really wishes- <»re —•" And thus another lira swolJed the profits of the day. O'MaUy waj,,],^. Ed if he ougiht not >tp v keep. this <*:ie lira, since it was off l.*.s 6\w.- conu and not Pietro's. On, the balcony of t!t<!' villa np-peaa-ed two woimSn. Tqw woman w'.ch the gMsses at 'once -di-Msvi'.-fd t e)n "Who is that !juivbo'.»ie wou.iiti'" she demanded. O'Mailly paled slightly. "TKat,/ tomjchiing, ihis cap respeotfully, is her Highness, La Principessy d' Monty, Bianohy, tiieoy^er of the Villa, Anadrie." Ha! H e had khem here., , '... , ' The is6uris!fcs istared at the balcony. A real live pinnoess! They no longer regretted^ the,two lirej fifty. This wias something woi-th while. "W,e did no know that -the princess lived 'here." ' "It is but a temporairy visit. She is here incognito. You must not repeat what I have told you," was O'MaUy added warning. Oti the balcony tite two women were talking quietly. "What in the world is that man O'Mally uip to now?" said La Signorina curiously. "Oaai't you see?" replied Kitty. "He is acting as guide in Pietro's place. / "Merciful"Heavens!" La SigJibrdna, retired, stifling her laughter. At the gatesi O'Mally received his pourboire of tweiity centesimi, sa.w biis charge outside, closed and locked the gates, and returned to Pietro, who was- in a greatly agitated ettate of mind. (To i Bfe'c^ntiotied.)