The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902, March 19, 1896, Image 6
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. March 19, 1896. fr tffcWWT Ktft.gY MACMILUN (Contlontd from itwt ek.) CHAPTER XIX The young man hod risen and wm standing by the table when he turned from the window. He seemed greatly refreshed, his face had lost its livid hne of passion and death and looked the bet ter for a tinge of color. He met our re gard boldly, yet with no braggart, bulg ing air, but ihts uuiupuauiti of s trsvs man facing his trial with a conscious ness of right upon his side. "I would auk you, ' ' says the don, seat ing himself on t'other side the table, "why you refused to do that before?" "Sir," answers he, "I have lost ev erything in the world save some small modicum of pride, which, being all I have, I do cherish, maybe unduly. And 0, when these unmannerly hinds took me by the throat, calling on me to tell my name and business, this spirit with in me flaring up, I could not answer with the humility of a villain seeking to sneak out of danger by submissive ex cuses." " Be seated," says the don, accepting this explanation with a bow. "How may we call you?" "In Venice," replies the other, with tome hesitation, "I was called Dario name given me by my fellow scholars because my English name was not to their taste." "Enough, " says the don. "I can un derstand a man of better fortune, as I perceive you have been, wishing in suoh a position as this to retain his incognito. There are no parks in Venice, to my knowledge, but surely, sir, you would not enter a palazzo there uninvited with out some reasonable pretext " "It would be sufficient that in such a house as this I thought I might find aorne employment for a painter. " "You are a painter?" says L - "A poor one, as you see," replies Dario, with a significant glance at his clothes. Don Sanchez turned to me, hunching his shoulders. " 'Tis cloar," says he, "that Signor Dario has been grossly abused by our lady's overzealous steward. You have but to tell us, sir, what reparation we can make you. " "I'll not refuse it," answers Dario eagerly. "You shall grant me permis sion to prove the honesty of my story, and something more than that Somewhere here, " adds he, glanoing around him, "I'd leave a tribute to the honor of that dear lady who brought me back to life. " Don Sanchez assents with a bow to this proposal, but with a rueful glance at the rich panels of the wall, as fear ing this painter might be as poor in tal ent as in his clothes the latter reflect ing discredit on the former and would disfigure the handsome walls with some rude daub, "Ah," cries Dario, casting his eye upon the ceiling, which was plastered in the Italian mode and embellished with a poor design of cherubs and clouds, "this ceiling is ill done. I oould paint a fresco that would less disgrace the room." "You will need materials," says the don, laying his purse upon the table. "When you return with them, you may rely upon having our lady's consent to your wishes." The painter took the purse with a bow of acknowledgment, with no more trouble than one gentleman would show in receiving an obligation from another, and presently left us. "Shall we see him again, think ye, senor?" I asked when we were left to ourselves. He nodded, but with such a reflect ive, somber air that I was impelled to ask him if he lacked confidence in the story told us by the painter. "His story may be true enough, but whether Signor Dario be an honest man or not is another matter. A paint er's but a man. A ruined gentleman will accommodate his principles to cir cumstances" with a side glance that seemed to say, "I am a ruined srentle- man" "and my mind would be easier if I knew by what curious accident a painter in need should find himself in the heart of Kent, and why, fixing on this house to seek employment, he should linger to the point of starvation before he can pluck up courage to ask a sim ple question. We must keep our eyes open, Mr. Hopkins, and, " adds he, drop ping his voice, "our mouths shut" I oould not sleep that night for think ing of housebreakeries and bloody strug gles for dear life, for 'tis a matter of common report that this sort of rob bers, ere they make attack, do contrive to got one of their number into the house that he may learn where good goods are stowed, which part is easiest of attack, etc . I know not whether these quakings were shared by the don, but certainly our misgivings entered Moll's little head. Nay, rather her romantio disposi tion did lead her, when she heard our narration, to conceive that this myste rious Dario might be some wandering genius whose work upon our ceiling would make the court forever glorious. And while in this humor she bade me go to Simon, whose presence she would not tolerate in her house, and make him acquainted with her high displeasure, . and furthermore to command that he should make satisfactory apology to Dario upon his return. So to him I went, and he, wringing his hands in anguish, deplored that his best endeavors 4 nnri ifc 4 CO. to serve his mistress served only to in cense her the more against him. But for his apology, he declared that was made the moment he heard of the gentleman's release, at the same time that he re stored to him his hat and a pocketbook which had fallen from his pocket. This did somewhat reassure me, know ing full well that Simon would not have given up this book without first ac quainting himself with its contents and urging that had there been anything is it to incriminate him he had certainly laid it before his mistress for his own justification. A couple of days after this as Don Sanchez and I were discoursing in the great, avenue Dario presents himself, looking all the better for a decent suit of clothes and a more prosperous condi tion, and, Moll joining us at that mo ment, he makes her a very handsome obeisance, and standing uncovered be fore her bogs to know if it is her will that he should paint the ceiling of hor dining halL As he spoke the color rose on his cheek, and a shaft of sunlight falling on his curling hair, which shone with the luster of health, made him look as comely a man as ever I did see and a good five years younger than when he stood before us in, the extremity of dis tress. " ' . "Sir," says Moll, "were you my debt or as much as I am yours I oould not ask for better payment. " Don Sanchez put an end to this pretty exohange of courtesies which may be considered overmuch as between a lady of Moll's degree and one who might turn out to be no more than an indiffer ent painter at the best by proposing that Dario should point out what dis position he would have made for his con venience in working. So he went with in doors, and there Dario gave orders to our gardener, who was a handy sort of Jack of all trades, what pieces of furni ture should be removed, how the vJalls and floor should be protected, and how a scaffold should be set up for him to work on. And the gardener promising to carry out all these instructions in the courso of the day, Dario took his leave of us in a very polished style, saying he would begin his business the next morn ing betimes. Sure enough, we were awoke next day by a scraping below, and coming down, we found our painter in a skullcap and a smock that covered him to his heels upon his scaffold, preparing the ceiling in a very workmanlike manner. And to see him then, with his face and beard thickly crusted over with a mess of dry plaster and paint, did I think somewhat dispel those fanciful illusions which onr Moll had fostered she doubtless ex pecting to find him in a very graceful attitude and beautiful to look at creat ing a picture as if by enchantment. Her mortification was increased later in the day when, having invited him on her insistence to dine at our table, he de clined (civilly enough), saying he had brought his repast with him, and we presently found him seated astride one of his pUjika with a pocketknife in one hand out, a thumb piece of bread and bacon in the other, which he seemed to be eating with all the relish in the world.' "W7hy, he is naught but a common laborer," says Moll, disgusted to see him regaling himself in this fashion as we returned to our room. "A pretty picture we are like to get for all this mess and inconvenience I" And her idol being broken, as it were, and all her fond fancies dashed, she would not as much look at him again for keeping away from the room, not to be reminded of her folly. However, on the third day Dario sent to ask if she would survey his outlines and decide whether the design pleased her or not For this purpose he had pushed aside his scaffold, and here we saw a perspective done on the ceiling in charcoal, representing a vaulted roof with an opening to the sky in the mid dle, surrounded by a little balcony with trailing plants running over it and flowers peeping out betwixt the balus- He teemed to be eating with all the relish in the world. ters, and this, though very rough, was most artificial, making the room look twice its height, and the most admira ble, masterly drawing that I did ever Bee. And now Moll, who had prepared a courteous speech to cover the contempt, the expected to feel for the work, could ay naught for astonishment, but stood easting tier ryes ronod at tne woric use one in a maze "If you would prefer an allegory of figures" says Dario, misconceiving her silence "If ay," answers she, "I would have nothing altered. 'Tis wonderful how, such effect can be made with mere lines of black. I can scarce believe the ceil ing is flat," and then she drops her eyes upon Dario, regarding him with won der, as if doubting that such a dirty looking man could have worked this miracle. "You must have seen better designs in Home, " says he. j At this I took alarm, not thinking for the moment that he might have picked up some particulars of Judith Godwin's history from Mrs. Butterby or the cu rious servants who were ever prying in the room. " 'Tis so long ago," says Moll readily. "I think I have seen something like It in the1 Holy City," observes the don critically. "Probably. Nothing has been left un done in Rome, I am told. It has not been my good fortune to get so far. " This was good news, for otherwise he might have put some posers to Moli, which she had found it hard to answer without betraying ber ignorance. Having Moll's approval, Dario set to work forthwith to color his perspective, and this he did with the same firm hand of one who understands his business and with such nice judgment that no build er whose design is ordered by fixed rule and line could accomplish his work with greater truth and justice. He made it to appear that the lower part of his vaulted roof was wainscoted in the style of the walls, and to such perfec tion that 'twould have puzzled a con jurer to decide where the oaken panels ended and the painted ones began. And now Moll suffers her fancies to run wild again and could not sufficient ly marvel over this poor painter and his work, of which she would disoourse to such lengths that both the don and I at times bad eome ado to stifle our yawns. She would have it that he was no com- mon man, but some great genius, com-) polled by misfortune or the persecution of rivals to wander abroad in disguise, taking for evidence the very facts which had lately led her to condemn him, pointing out that whereas those young gentlemen who courted her so persist ently did endeavor on all occasions to make their estate and natural parts ap pear greater than they were, this Dario did not, showing that he had no such need of fictitious advancement and could well afford to let the world judge of his worth by his works, eto. This point we did not contest, only we were very well content to observe that he introduced no one into the house, had no friends in the village to our knowledge and that naught was lacking from our store of plate. She never tired of watching him at his work, having the hardihood to mount upon the scaffold where he stood, and there she would sit by the hour on a little stool, chatting like any magpie, when the nature of his occupation al lowed his thoughts to wander, silent as a mouse when she perceived that his mind was absorbed in travail, ready at any moment to fetch this or hold t'other and seizing every opportunity to serve him. Indeed I believe she would gladly have helped him shift the heavy planks when he would have their position al tered had he permitted her this rough usage of her delicate hands. One day, when he was about to begin the foliage upon his balcony, he brought In a spray of ivy for a model Then Moll told him she knew where much better was to be found and would have him go with her to see it. And she coming back from this expedition, with her arms full of bryony and herbage, rich ly tinted by the first frost, I perceived that there was a new kind of beauty in her face, a radiance of great happiness and satisfaction which I had never seen there before. Here was herbage enough for a week, but she must have fresh the next morn ing, and thenceforth every day they would go out ere the sun was high, hunt ing for new models. To prepare for these early excursions Mistress Moll, though commonly dis posed to be abed late in the morning, must have been up by daybreak. For, despite her admiration of Dario's sim plicity in dress, she showed no inclina tion to follow his example in this partic ular, but, on the contrary, took more pains in adorning her person at this time than ever she had done before, and as she would dress her hair no two mornings alike, so sho would chango the fashion of her dress with the same in constancy until the sly hussy discovered which did not please Dario's taste. Then a word of approval from him nay, a glance would suffice to fix her choice until she found that his admiration needed rekindling. And so, if her own imagination was not sufficiently forci ble, she would talk of nothing but the newest fashions at court with her friends, with the result that her maids were forever a-brewing some new wash for her face, which she considered too brown, compounding charms to remove a little mole she had in the nape of her neck, cutting up one gown to make an other, and so forth. One day she pre sented herself with a black patch at the corner of her lip, and having seen naught of this fashion before I cried out in alarm : "Lord, child 1 Have you injured your face with that mess Betty was stewing yesterday?" . "What an absurd, old fashioned crea ture you arel" answers Bhe testily. "Don't you know that 'tis the mode now for ladies to wear spots? Signor Dario," adds she, her eyes lighting up, "finds it mighty becoming. " When I saw her thus disfiguring her pretty face, as I considered it then, though I carao to admire this embellish ment later on, to please Signor Dario, I began to ask myself how this business was likely to end. CHAPTER XX tfiiD in the a nuance of Dawxm that I stood in the position of a guard ian to his daughter and was responsible for her welfare, my mind grew very un easy about the consequences of her ex travagant admiration for the painter, and knowing that Don Sanchez, despite his phlegmatic humor, loved Moll very sincerely at heart, I took him aside one day and asked him if he had observed nothing particular in Moll's behavior of late. "One would be blind," says he, "not to see that she is enamored of Dario, if that's what you mean. " I admitted that my suspicions inclined that way, and explaining my concern on her behalf I asked him what he would do in my place. "In my country," says he, "matters never would have been suffered to go so far, and Mistress Judith would have been shut up a prisoner in her room these past three weeks, but I doubt if our maidens are any the safer or better for such treatment, and I am quite sure that such treatment would be worse than useless for an English girl, and es pecially such a one as this, for, guard her how you might, she would assured ly find means to break her prison, and then no course is open to her but to throw herself into the arms of the man she loves, trusting to mere accident whether he abused her devotion or not. You might as well strive to catch the wind and hold it as stay and stem the course of youthful passion. " "Aye, senor," says T, "this may be all very true, but what should you do In my place?" "Nothing," says he. This was a piece of advico which set me scratching my head in dubitation. "Beware," continues he, "how you suggest the thing yon fear to one who needs but a hint to act. I have great faith in the natural modesty of women and I do think no child more inno cent than Mistress Judith which, though it blind them to their danger, does at the same time safeguard them against secret and illicit courses of more fatal results. Let her discourse with him openly, since it pleases her. another fortnight or so Dario's work will be finished, he will go away, our young lady will shed secret tears and be downcast for a week. Then another swain will please her, and she'll smile again. That, as I take it, will be the natural order of events, unless, " adds he, "that natural order is disturbed by some external influence. " ' Maugre this sage advice, my concern being unabated, I would step pretty fre quently into the room where these young people were, as if to see how the work was going forward, and with such a quick step that had any interchange of amorous sentiments existed I must at one time or another have discovered it. But I never detected any sign of this no bashful silence, no sudden confusion or covert interchange of glances. Some times they would be chatting lightly, at others both would be standing silent, she maybe holding a bunch of leaves with untiring steadfastness for him to copy. But I observed that she was exceedingly jealous of his' society, and no matter bow glibly she was talking when I en tered or how indifferent the subject Bhe would quickly become silent, showing me very plainly by her manner that she would vastly prefer my room to my company. Still I was not displeased to see this ceiling fresco drawing near to its com pletion. "You are getting on apace," says I very cheerfully one day. will soon have done. " "Yes," answers he, shall have naught to do "I reckon you "in a week I but to pack up my tools and go. " There was an accent of sorrow in his I voice, despite, himself, which did not escape me nor juou neitner, lor 1 saw her cast her eyes upon his face as if to read if there were sadness there. But she said never a word. However, in the afternoon she comes to me, and says she : "I am resolved I will have all the rooms in the house plastered if Signor Dario will consent to paint them." "All the rooms!" says I in alarm. "Surely you have not counted the cost of what yon propose " ST. VITUS DANCE. A Physician Prescribes Dr. Miles' Restorative Nervine. Dr. Miles Medical Co., Elkhart, Ind.: My daughter Mattio, aged 14, was afflicted last spring with St. Vitus dance and ner vousness, her entire right Bide was numb aud nearly paralyzed. We consulted a phy- sician and he prescribed Dr. Miles' Restora tive Nervine. She took three bottles before we saw any certain signs of improvement, but after that she began to improve very fast and I now think she U entirely cured. She has taken nine bottles of the Nervine, but no other medicine of any kind. Kno.x, Ind., Jan. 5, '95. II. W. IIostetteb. Physicians prescribe Dr. Miles' Eemedies because they are known to be the result of the long practice and experience of one of the brightest, members of their profession, and are carefully compounded by experi enced chemists, in exact accordance with Dr. Miles' prescriptions, as used in his practice. " On sale at all druggists. Write for Dr. Miles' Book on the Heart and Nerves. Dr. Miles Medical Co., Elkhart, Ind. Dr. Miles' Remedies Restore Health. "1 suppose I have enough to keep my bouse in rai table condition. " "Without doubt, though I expect such work as Signor Dario's must command high price." "All I ask of you, then," says she, "is to bid my steward have 5,000 ready for my uses, and within a week, lest I should need it suddenly. Should he raise objections" "As assuredly he will," Bays I, who knew the crafty, subtle character of old Simon full well by this time. "A thou sand, and not one you can pick a hole in." "Then show him this and tell him I accept Mr. Goodman's offer unless he can find more profitable means of raising money." With that she puts in my hand a let ter she had that morning received from one Henry Goodman, a tenant, showing how, having heard that she had disposed of a farm to his neighbor, he humbly prayed she would do him the same good turn by selling him the land he now rented, and for which he was prepared to pay down in ready money the sum of 5,000. Armed with this letter, I sought Si mon tuill UwltVeitn Moll's IuoSaagS. As I expected, the wily old man had good excuses ready for not complying with this request, showing me the pains he had taken to get the king's seal, his failures to move the king's officers, and the refusal of his goldsmith to furnish further supplies before the deed of suc cession was passed. "These objections are all very just," says I, "so I see no'way of pleasing our lady but by selling Mr. Goodman's farm, which she will have done at once if there be no alternative. "' So I give him the letter, which he can scarce read for trembling with anguish. "What," cries he, coming to an end, "I am to sell this land which I bought for 900 and is now worth 6,000? I would rather my mistress had bid me have the last teeth torn from my head. " "We must have money," says L "Thee shalt have it in good time. Evans hath been paid, and thy debt shall be discharged. Fear not. " "I spoke as representing our lady. For ourselves we are content to wait her better convenience." And I told him bow his mistress would lay out her money in embellishing the court with paintings, which put him to a new talk ing to think so much good money should be wasted in such vanities. " But, " says he, " this w ork must take time, and one pays for nothing ere 'tis done. By quarter day our rents will be coming in again" "No," says I, cutting him short, "the money must be found at once, or be as sured that your lady will take the man agement of her affairs out of your hands." This raised a fresh outcry and more lamentations, but in the end he prom ised to procure the money by collecting his rents in advance if his mistress would refuse Mr. Goodman's offer and wait three weeks, and on Moll's behalf I agreed to these terms. A few days after this we were called into the dining hall to see the finished ceiling, which truly deserved all the praise we could bestow upon it and more, for now that the sky appeared through the opening, with a little pearly cloud creeping across it, the verdure and flowers falling over the marble cop ing, and the sunlight falling on one side and throwing t'other into shade, the illusion was comulete.. so that one ! Could scarcely have been more astonish ed had a leaf, fallen fiom the hanging flowers or a face looked over the balco ny. In short, 'twas prodigious Nevertheless the painter, looking up at his work with half closed, critical eyes, seemed dissatisfied, and asking us if we found nothing lacking we, not to appear behindhand in judgment, agreed that on one side there was a vacant place which might yet be adorned to ad vantage. Yes," says he, "I see what is want ed and will supply it. That, " adds he, gently turning to Moll, "will give me still another day." "Why, what charm can you add that is not there?" asks she. Something," says he in a low voice, "which I must see whenever I do cast my eyes heavenward. " And now Moll, big with her purpose, which 6he had hitherto withheld from Dario, begs him to come into her state room, and there she told how she would have this ceiling plastered over and painted, like her dining hall, if he would undertake to do it. Dario casts his eye round the room and over the ceiling, and then, shaking bis head, says, "If I were in your place, I would alter nothing here. " "But I will have it altered," says she, nettled because he did not leap at once at her offer, which was made rath er to prolong their communion than to obtain a picture. "I detest these old fashioned beams of wood. " "They are in keeping with the char acter of the room. I think," adds he, looking round him again with renewed admiration, "I think I have never seen a more perfect example of English art " "What of that," cries she, "if it pleases me to have it otherwise?" "Nothing," returns he calmly. "You have as just a right to stand by your opinion as I by mine. " "And am I to understand that you will rather hold by your opinion than give me pleasure?" "I pray you do not press me to dis courtesy," says he. "Nay, but I would have a plain an swer to my question," says she haugh tily. x "Then," says he, angering in his turn, "I must tell you that I would as soon chip an antique statue to suit the taste of a French modiste as disfigure the work of him who designed this room." Now, whether Moll took this to be a reflection on her own figure, which had grown marvelous slim in the waist since she had her new stays from London, or not I will not say, but certainly, this re beyond all an durance, as we could see by ber blanched cheek and flashing eye ; so, dismissing him with a deep courtesy, she turns on ber heel without another word. This foolish business, which was not yery creditable to onr Moll's good sense, though I think she acted no worse than other maids in her condition fori have observed that young people do usually lose their heads at the same time that they lose their hearts this foolish scene, I Bay, I would gladly omit from my his tory but that it completely changed our destiny, for had these two parted with fair words we should probably have seen no more of Dario, and Don San chez's prognostic had been realized. Such trifles as these do influence our career so greatly as more serious acci dents, our lives being a fabric of events that hang together by the slenderest threads. Unmoved from his design by Moll's displeasure, Dario replaced his scaffold before he left that day, and the next morning he came to put the last touch upon his work. Moll, being still in dudg eon, would not go near him, but sat brooding in a corner of her stateroom, ready, as I perceived, to fly out in pas- Bhe turn on her heel without another word. sion at any one who gave her the occa sion. Seeing this, Don Sanchez prudent ly went forth for a walk after dinner, but I, seeing that some one must settle accounts with the painter for his work, staid at home. And when I perceived that he was collecting his materials to go I went in to MolL "My dear," says I, "I believ Dario to preparing to leave us. " "My congratulations to him," says ' (To be Continued.) Scott's . . . Carbo-Digestive Compound. 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