LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7079, 3 February 1891, Page 1

LITERATURE.

fi 'A DRAMA_IN NAPLES." (Ball Mall Bud<jet.) (Continued.) A silence fell between these two— a silence painful and prolonged. The Bafoness, consummate woman of the -world sb Bhe was, felt that she had outraged her friend's religious feelingß so deeply that for the moment it would be -wisest to Bit still and say and do nothing. But aa these two sat motionless in the subdued light of the boudoir, outßide there, below, in the terrible glare of the Strada Badchi Nuovi another, seemingly up to now eternally immobile, was suddenly stirred to action. At the sound of light awift footsteps coming towards him on the deserted pavement, Arpiuo, the blind beggar, who Btill kept the yellow whifce3 of his upturned eyes riveted on the Palazzo raised his head abruptly. His xnou'stachio bristled. "For the pity of God !" he cried in bia monotonous voice, and with hia accustomed action, extended his open hand. This hand shook. The light, swift footsteps were stayed ; and a low, sweet voice sounded in the beggar's ear. " Afflicted brother, have you long been blind V" " For ten years, my father." " Are you stone blind I" •' Stone blind, my father." "How came you to know that a priest spoke to you. " Who but a priest -would call the outcast and afflicted ' brother ?' " " The blesaings of Heaven support you in your affliction, my son." A lira note was placed in Arpino's hand, and the light, Bwift footsteps passed on ; passed on, and mingled with the crowd, and died into indistinctness in the manyvoiced mariners of the Btreet. Cut Arpino listened. There was something almost menacing in the blind man's attitude of strained intentness. Even Ms hearing, preternaturally quickened as it was by hia other affliction, could not have traced the course of those light, swift footsteps as they passed up the street, crossed it at the top then came down the other side and glided into the falazza Medina ! It is true that Arpino's fixed, uptnrned yellow eyes were rivited on the Palaraa as thoße light, swift steps entered it. But, then, Arpino was blind. Aa this episode terminated in the scorching street below, the awkward silence which had reigned in the Countesß' boudoir was broken. " "Well," sayß the B»rones3 Bravura, " I have offended you, I see! So that the best thing I caa do is to take my leave, after having first admired your new ornaments." The Countess' boudoir was in truth a perfect bric-a-brao shop, exquisitely furnished. For the absent Count bad taste and was a great collector. Exquisite inlaid cabinets occupied corners, and their open doors permitted an inspection of European masterpieces in the art of miniature. Amidst other fine pictures on the walla hung a Correggio which the directors of the National Museum had vainly tried to buy. Mementoes of the ab3ent Count's wanderings in strange countries mingled grotesquely with these objects of vertu. Here hung a brightlypaiuted bow and a bunch of poißoned arrows from the Orinoco. Here a deadly club, which had been wielded in Central African forests, supported a quantity of talismans whioh had once perhaps belonged to the club's owner. In one corner of the room- a large, heavy ebony cheat stood open, whose contents, still further recalled Africa, for a magnificent lion's Bkin banging half in and halt' out of it seemed to eaten- all the concentrated light in this dim boudoir, and was shown to striking advantage. The Baroness Bravura's attention was attracted to this skin, which Bhe had never seen before ; and the Countess, who had recovered from her displeasure, was languidly informing her that it had once belonged to the Nubian lion whose claws had disfigured one aide of her husband's face, when the sound of shoes creaking apologetically was heard, and a decoroualydresaed fat man deferentially entered the zoom. This waa Sorra, the confidential servant of the family. He was a man with short-clipped black whiskers, a white, podgy face, a bald, shining head, and black eyebrowß raised over half-closed eyes. His manner was exceedingly grave, as of one performing sacred functions. This man eyed the Baroness Bravura cornerwise, and, approaching tke Countess with almost a ■ religions air, handed her a •small note on a silver saWer. The pulses in the Countess Medina's temples beat violently. She took the note with a nervous movement, and as she Baid, "Very well, Sorra," her voice fluttered. The steward bowed and departed, reverent and dignified as ever. The sound of his creaking shoes died decorously in the corridor. " Ah," said the Baroness Bravura, " you expect someone." But the Countess replied at once with a sort of nervous irritation, and forcing her unsteady glance to meet the Baroneßa' «yes. " No ! I expect no one." •"Ail the same, I will go." says the Baroness, and she lounged to the window once more, buttoning her gloves. The Countess, standing behind her with both hands on her shoulders, said "Well, Carissima do oome and see me again tomorrow. It always seems to me that you bring luck. * * * What ia it?" she asked as the Baroness, who was looking o*t of the window, gave a little start. "Well," said the Baroness, "if I bring you luck it's a fortunate thing that I have returned to Naples, since one of your luckbringers has deserted you." " What do you mean ?" " The blind beggar has vanished !" "Arpino pone!" cried the Countess. "Impossible!" She in her turn looked out of the window. "Why, for three months he has never moved." "Well, he's moved now," said the Baroneaa. Then noticing that the Countess' face had fallen, she said, shaking both her hands, and kissing her, " You mast take «are of yourself, my dear. Do you know, you look to me as if your nervea were going wrong." The CouDtees shook her head, and smiled the sad, resigned Btnile of a saintly woman who suffera; then the jangle of the Baroness Bravura's innumerable bracelets and bangles died gradually in the track of Sorra'a creaking shoes. This dignitary waa waiting below to aho the visitor out. He loathed the English, and being a Neapolitan born and bred, waa utterly unable to understand how any woman who had a carriage could walk to the next house. Having, therefore, followed the Barouesa' retreating footsteps with a •disdainful eye, he retired to his sanctum — a small room off the entrance going into the courtyard — and, having taken a glass of Veauvio and lighted a black cigar, stretched himself in an armchair, prepared equally for sleep or contemplation. " I shall not be wanted for the rust of the morning, that is clear," he Baid to himaelf. A significant smile played about hia fat lips. He smoked his cigar lazily till it -went out, and presently he fell into a atertqroua oiesta. From thia sleep he was awakened by a light hand presaure upon hia shoulder and the spuud of a low voice in hia ear ; but a voic9 : which to him sounded so dreadfully that he started up trembling like a man in a palsy, and with the sweat standing out on hia forehead.

" Eccellenza," he babbled, " we thought you were at Caserta." Count Medina, a tall, gaunt man with abristlingmoußtachio pointed upwards, and a fixed penetrating eye, emiled good-humouredly. He wa3 dressed quietly in a frock coat and tall hat, like an English gentleman. The scar from the lion's claw on his right cheek showed up very white. "I have delayed my departure to Caserfca," he said, still smiling gravely at his servant's astonishment. I havemadeup my mind to remove my whole household there * * * at once." "To remove your whole household to Caserta, Eccellenza ! and at once ?" "Te3, my good Sorra. There are rumours of cholera in Naples. Make all preparations to start in an hour. The order is 6omewhat sudden, possibly, but I do not know why you should look bo surprised?" Ha toyed with his eye-glass, breathing on it. Then he asked carelessly, "Is the Contessa at home ?" "Yes, Eccellenza. No. Yes— that is, shall I go and see ?" ! "I will not trouble you, good Sorra; I will go and see for myself. Meanwhile stir yourself. Lock up everything below here, and bring the keys to me in Madame'a boudoir." fie went upstairs calmly, according to his usual fa3hion ; but when he was withim three steps of the landing which gay& or* to the boudoir, a nervous trembling suddenly seized his knees, and he fell forward, striking his cane sharply against the top of the marble stair. He had scarcely risen when the boudoir door waa opened violently, and his wife Bhowed herself in the entrance. Her face looked very white in the doorway there; and the pulse in her temples her husband noticed, was beating fast. Bat she came forward impulsively, smiling; surprised, yet glad to see him. " Luigi !" she said. "Back so soon !" "Ah, Adelina!" As she stood before him rather awkwardly in the corridor, he stooped and kisaed her on the forehead. As is lip 3 touched the flesh the Count heard a low dull click come from the boudoir. " Come," he said, moving towards the room, " I have something to tell you." (To be continued.)