An 1
I'M""4
'ip; "hti rar
: !y 13. 1
T ask tn- tn recount lie dark and fateful
"KJ I tra gi fly In which It wrr my lot to be In-
I vulvfd. So U It. I will relate the story I
A I us staying fit the time. as you have hoard.
In tlx- ancient city of I'la. I had not been
tin re niii ny i i k w I en I was nu t at thi
corner of the Colonnade one morning by tny
friend, Prof. s humann. We both spoke
Itiillnn. and It was In Hint language that he greeted ni
"You are the man 1 want to meet." said he. "Have
you imy particular enlistment f ir tlilK afternoon?"
" I have none." I replied. " What In It that you want
of me?"
" I want you to come with me. In company with an Ital
ian gentleman, the young Count Assorli. to look at a pic
ture in the Poffareno pnlare. It In called 'The picture of
the Cursi'.' "
Naturally strui k by an strange a tith I asked Herr
Schiinianti to explain Its meaning He then gave me tha
following accmint. which I regret that my memory does not
allow me to reproduce In his own words. There were
many details, no doubt, which 1 have forgotten, but the
outline Is substantially correct.
"You know." he began by saying, "that the old and
haughty house of Soff.ireno Is represented now only by the
young marihesa, who Is at present lying at the point of
death Twenty years ago. however, when the old mur'iuls
was alive, the Soffareno were In the full xe nllli of prosper
ity ami fortune The Maniuls Ylineiitlii had married tin
fairest lady In Pisa, und she had brought him two lovely
children, a boy-thc one who died the other day and a
girl, the young March .-sa llclina Kver since the nuptials
the palace had been given up to feasting and festivity.
Every day the old marquis devise. 1 some fresh pleasure or
some added luxury to gratify his wife, and she. on her
part, threw herself Into the tide of amusement with all
the abandonment of her youth. .
" Foremost among those who took part In the gather
ings at the S" ft", in te inlin e was a young and handsome
painter, by name Amlrta Chlatto. lie was not a native of
Pisa nor, it seemed, of Tuscany. No one, in fact, could
say' from what part of Italy he came l!ut his talent us an
artist was tindouht ed : and equally reluct kable were his
powers In all that pi it. lined to the kindred arts or scieiici s
of design, of architecture, and even of un-i hanies. In addi
tion, Hole was said to lie something tn stt-rioua in his
studies, for a light was often seen burning in t lie topmost
window of his solitary dwelling iong after midnight, and
even on to the hour of dawn- The rutuoi among the com
mon people was that Chlatto was a mngii Inn
"To those Willi were intimate with hiin-if any coulu
be said to be truly intimate with this" reserved and singu
lar man he admitted a certain leaning towards the occult
arts. He professed btllcf In many of the marvels related
of modern spiritualism, and was not unwilling at times to
give illustrations of his own peculiar powers as a mesmer
ist, buch was Audita Chimin
" He had not been long in I'isa when old Soffareno sent
for him to the palace to execute u portrait of his wife.
The painter accepted the commission and a large sum was
agreed upon to be paid on the completion of the picture.
The marchesa was m xt approached, and she consented to
appoint certain hours at w hich the artist might attend and
pursue his labor. He came regularly und often, and for
u month the picture made steady progress.
"At the end of that time, however, a strange thing
occurred. Chiutto suddenly declared himself dissatisfied
with his work, and. tearing the canvas In pieces, demanded
leave to begin all over again. The beautiful sitter, whether
flattered by this humility, or secretly willing to prolong
the series of meetings with Andrea for which his task gave
occasion, made no difficulty, and the sittings went on for
another period. Hut the same tiling was to be repeated
When a sufficient number of weeks had slipped past, tlV
artist again pronounced his efforts to be wholly unworthy
of their lovely subject, and a third canvas was set upon the
easel.
" But the Ingenuity of Chlatto and the marchesa's
complaisance began, by this time, to be the talk of I'isa.
and It was In the Inevitable course of things that It should
come at last to the ears of the man who.e honor was most
interested. From this point conjecture as to what hap
pened must, to some extent, supply the place of narrative.
The marquis seems to have preferred to charge his wife
alone and in private with the suspicions for which she had
become a target, and to have satisfied himself from her
confessions, or from her evasions, that she had merited
the doom of faithlessness.
"To admit, by set king revenge, that his honor had been
sullied by a man of Chlntto's obscure rank he may have
considered beneath his dignity. But the unhappy woman
could not be allowed to live, liecourse was had to poison.
No cry was heard, no warning given, but when next An
drea came to renew his Penelope-like labor he found
dressed In the same robes and jewels, and sitting In the
attitude he had chosen for the woman he loved, her
frozen corpse.
" He uttered not a word, but came away, bearing his
unfinished canvas. He made no rcjiort of the circum
stances to the authorities, and the Marquis Soffareno pro
ofed a medical opinion that his marchesa had died from
an overdose of some medicine prescribed to her a short
time previously.
" It was remarked that Andrea Chiutto lingered on In
I'isa, although the houses of the nobility were no longer
open to him, and he could scarcely hope to accomplish
much in the way of his profession as a portrait painter
after the catastrophe. He continued to keep his myste
rious light burning through the unhallowed hours of dark
ness, and the belief In his magic powers, among the lower
orders of the people, grew stronger every day. The popu
lar interest In this strange character was at Its height,
when It became known that he had actually written to his
enemy. Soffareno. offering him as a gift the completed por
trait of the unhappy marchesa.
" I!y this time the feelings of the old man had under
gone u certain change. The extreme tenderness he had
formerly felt for his youthful bride revived over her grave,
mid if lie did not wish his stern deed undone, he. nt all
events, began to let his memory dwell fondly on the time
before his Joy In her had been blasted by the touch of evil.
Strange as It may seem. then, he closed with the offer of
the painter, and submitted to the conditions by wltich it
was accompanied.
"These conditions were far more exti aordlnary than
the offer Itself. Chlatto stipulated that a room should be
set apart for the reception of the picture, and that he
should be permitted to come at his own time and place it
on the walls. He required t lie key of the room to Ik- sent
to him In advance, and Insisted that no one should enter it
till his work was acc implished. lie would bring his own
ladder and such other instruments as were necessary for
the fixing of pictures, und no person was to question him,
coming or going.
" Having obtained these concessions the painter ar
rived at the palace one morning at the hour of dawn with
a conveyance on which were two immense and unwieldy
packages. Assisted by the driver of the wagon, Chlatto
curried these to the appointed room and locked himself in
alone. For the next ten or twenty minutes sounds of ham
mering were heard ur.d the shifting of furniture from place
to place. Finally, the artist summoned his driver, and.
locking the door be hind them, the y carried back the bulkier
of the two packages u the vehicle. The man then drove
off, wlille Chlatto demanded to be brought before the lord
of the palace.
"The wondering servants obeyed, and the two enemies
were presently face to face. The marquis had been In
formed of the painter's arrival ami his eccentric" be havior,
and had hastily risen and come out In his dressing gown,
actuated partly by c uriosity unit partly by a desire to seize
the earliest moment for gazing once inor- at the features
of the once loved dead.
"The me-ttlng was an embarrassing one, but the old
nobleman, with the Instincts of his caste, began to frame
some words of ucknovv lodgment of the artist's gift.
Chiutto Interrupted him.
" ' tsir.' he said. ' 1 d:u not ionic here for your thanks.
There 'throwing It down ukiii the table with a crash
' Is the key of your room. Go and se-e your picture us sixiti
as you please, but know tluet I am not only a painter, I
have the command of se-crets you know not of. and I have
invested that portrait with a curse that shall alight upon
all who venture to beliold It and that rurse is death.'
"If old Soffareno was daunted for the moment by this
threat he noon shook off his fears, mil, affe-oting to regerd
It as the vaporing of a charlatan, he plckeel up the key and
departed to the chamber of the portrait. Suddenly, at the
end of two minutes, the mafquls rushe d out. looking ghast
ly pale and ill. The attendants hastened to him. and, after
hs king the door by hia fee bly muttered direr t Ions and
withdrawing the key. they half assisted, half tmre him to
his bedroom. The little boy and girl were sent for, too
joung to know what was passing around the in, and the ir
father bestowed on them his last caresses. The priest ar
rived next, and In his ear. and his alone, did the dying
man confide the secrets of the accursed chamber. Within
an hour he expired, his last Injunction being that no mem
ber at Ids family Bhould ever attempt to look uon the por
trait Invested w ith so terrible und potent a curse.
" From that time the picture, concealed from all eyes,
1 I '
i '
'
i
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1
ra itttvI
Li mud 4P sTs. Li m
5
LI
but hi' qllll'ly I
penknife, I i- h in
e tliis room til
tl i bottom. " wi r
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my eyes swam, the picture grew obscure, and I got up and
came away as Is st 1 could. Tin re w is absoluti ly nothing
to cause my sensations beyond the mere act of looking
steadily at the picture. That there Is some occult power
at work I am now convinced, and nothing shall make me
believe otherwise.'
" He handed the key of the' room to his- sister w ith an
earnest injunction to let no mortal soul use It so long tin In
remained alive. His orders were respe-cted. He lingered
on for nearly a wee k. refusing to se-e any physician, and at
last e xpired In his sister s arms.
" I dare say you. in common with others, have remarked
on the fatality of the beautiful Helena, hersill being
seized w ith Illne ss Immediately nfti rwards The f u t is
that her keen anxiety to fathom the secret of the wonder
ful picture overcame he r dread of Its powers. Accord ngly
she one day lnforme-d me of her Intention to pi m tr ate Into
the chambe r, and re que sttd me to await her In the corridor
I did so. After an Interval of time similar to that in the
case of he-r brother, she emerged, stricken In the sain.
dreadful way. and fell Into my arms. 1 loc ked tin door
and called for help, and we soon had her In her own room.
Then I sent for the ablest physician of I'isa from whom I
concealed nothing, and who immediately took the view 1
had formed In Vincentlo's case, that it was a question of
ne rvous shoe k.
" However, nt this Juncture ti e count ol Assorli came
on the scene. lb- f the nrtlancci! lover of the marclie-sa. to
whom he was pnsslonatelv attached long before her
brother's death left her the wealthiest heiress in Tus
cany. The count Is a perfectly fearless man. the perfe-ct
type of a cavalie-r. but strongly imbued with religious no
tions, and therefore a trifle' superstitious. To him. con
sidering him as a member of the family. 1 i-xplained my
own Vl' WS.
"'Count Assorll.' I said,
physician who Is utte nding th
the result of nervous shock
different Individuals, of wide
would be affected in this way
On the contrary, the deduction that I draw now
two cases, coupled with that of their father, tin
' 1 no longer airri e
marchesa that In I
1 cannot believe
i ly different temp
by any subjective
with the
illness is
that two
rani'-nts.
influence,
from tin
old mar-
are produced b some- re
Count Assorll
foolish thing, for
e key
it her
received the name by which It is known to every intimate
of the house of Soffareno, 'The Picture of the Curse.'
" For twenty years the dying command of the marquis
was scrupulously obeyed, rend no human font Intruded Into
the chamber of the portrait. Inched, no earthly Induce
ment could have tempted any of the superstitious mem
bers of the household to brave a warning which had been
so swiftly and horribly fulfilled be-fore their eyes. It wu
reserved for the old marquis' heir, now grown to man
hoods estate, to brave- for the second time t lie awful de
nunciation attached to the portrait of his mother.
"The Marchesa lbhua tells me," continued the pro
fessor. " that It was against her re nionst ranee- that he-r
brother Ventured on such a step, put young Veneentio
was bold to foolliar.liness. and being, besides, a free
thinker, he espec ially prided himself on his indiffere nce
to all tirrors not of a physical and tangible kind. Some
of his young companions, It would seem, started the Idea
in Ids mind by questioning him about the enchante-d
portrait, as they seofllngly called it. And partly to dis
sipate the effect of their Je ers, partly out of a natural and
amiable desire to behold the features of his parent, the
young marquis finally announced his dete rtninatlon to ex
plore the fatal sjeot. Having once fixed his intention, no
persuasions on the part of his sister could drive him from
carry ing it out. He discovered the key used by his father
amwng some old documents, and in the full tide of youth
and health and energy he disappeared through the door
way of tin- forbidden room.
" He was gone for about a quarter io an hour. I hap
pened to be- in the palace at the time. I had recmitly come
to risa for a long rest from my studies, which have chiefly
lain, as sou know. In the direction of physics, chemistry,
and the allied silences. Among my introductions hap-pene-d
to be- on' to a great frii r.d of Vinc.ntlo. and I
rapidly been me an intimate at the- Soff.ueiio palace.
"Never have I witnessed such a change in any man
as had taken place- in my young friend whin h" staggered,
rather than walkeel. Into the room where w. awaited him.
Personally I had viewed the legendary terrors of the pic
ture as the m. re st fabl, s, and I am afraid 1 had not re
frained from encouraging Soffareno to prosecute- his ad
venture Judge my surprise and consternation, there-
whin I saw hint creep back, looking as If he had
fatally w.iunib-d. I asked him what h.e.l l, i.o,r,H
He did not reply. Taking the hint. I withdrew, and it was
not until after his death that I gh-ane-d from his sister a
meager account of what had tick, n place.
"Meantime I begin to consider that nrob.-ihlv tho.
which the young marquis had evidently rec-eive-d
merely tin- result of nervousness Mv thiol-.- -,.
A young man of sanguine tempe rament g.ees into a room,
Invested with the most appalling traditions, to view a por
trait of his mother, who. as he had heard, suffered a
shexking and ghastly ,1,-ath. He enters in a high state
of excllement. and. likely, the first object that meets his
e ye is a skull or a sk -h-ton or some- horrible object above
which hangs a portrait Into whose .xpiession the artist
has concentrated all of frightful. U e.f loathsome all of
satanic that his art poss. ss.,1. n. rvcis shudder runs
through him. He mistakes this natural trembling for
",ll,r uc-cuu eisnauon. t.atent superstition l.-nd
and he finally issues from the apartment, dee
euicrii mat ne is m Ttally stricken by
power.
" Reasoning thus I tri- ,1 to persuade the marchesa to
talte tl,e tame view, of h,-r brother's case. She was not.
c , ih rsuau -a oy me. fit she thought if h
adopt any course that afforded the l.rist hop.
presse d .ny vie w s upon h. r brother. It was the
told her his i xii-riein i s.
In n 1 went into that room I thought exactly as
you and the profe-ksor do 1 ixs-cted to find some such
skull and cross bones arrange-nu nt and. the refor If 1 had
seen it It would not have si.irtled me In the le-astjj Instead
if that I saw ut one end of the room a confused heap of
furniture and pic tures, while on the opposite wall was the
only pic ture hung up In the rooni-an exquisitely painted
portrait of a young and beautiful woman, richly dressed
and adorned with gnus, and in feature bearing an un
mistakable likeness to yourself. 1 sat down In a chair
facing the picture and tlxi d my eye s steadily upon It.
lYese-ntly 1 fe lt something like a sharp pang lu my heart,
und by degrees a dreadful f ex-ling of sickne ss ere pt over me.
fore,
t-een
shock
w as
some
its aid.
ply con-Invisible
r duty to
and she
n that he
qui, is that these fatal result
outward agency."
" ' Do you mean. He ir Professor, that you think there
is really some supernatural age-ncy at work?' replied the
count. And he crossed himself. At the risk of wounding
his prejudices. I answered:
"'I do not think about it As a perfectly sane man.
having my nerves under control and my constitution in
sound working order. I know that these- results, like all
cithers, must have bce-n produc-d by some natural, physical
means, capable of explanation if sufficient evidence is forth
coming. What I propose to you to do is this. Let us try.
by actual experiment, to ascertain what those means are
and how they operate. In order to place oursclv.-s In a posi
tion to deal, with some slight hope- of sue-ce-ss. with tin
mysterious malady which is now baffling the- physician of
the marchesa.'
The hone siiireestod In the last s.-nte -nee must have
wined out the offense of the first, or else
must have realized that he had said
h.. at onre agreed to assist m . We hav- no ne ed to
obtain the marchesa's consent. 1 having re ta'iie-d th
.i ...,!.. .,.,.1 in a inpll.-r eil life and fie ith We ne
cei cue i iiaiiii" i "
of us dee-m it Improper to rroc-.-.-d without In r knowledg-
o,,r nine, la slmnlv this. It is i videllt t
mechanism employed, and which undoubtedly points to the
highest skill on the part of Chiutto. Is of such a character
that the ordinary action of a person entering the room
and examining tho picture Is sufficient to sot it In motion.
Therefore, what is requlr-d Is for sonn p-rson of sufficient
coolness and courage to go through tin- part, as It were,
while capable observe rs watch closely for the faintest clew
to the secret. Asorll. with a chivalrous disregard of con
sequences, has volunteered to take this dangerous part upon
l.lmoelf I n m to he one of the olisi-rvers. una Willi
pe rmission 1 was coming to u.-k you to be the othe r."
That was the story and the explanation of Prof.
Schumann. 1 will not deny that my Interest and curiosity
had been roused to a hich pitch by what, at this distance,
appears a comparatively simple and unexciting narrative.
The prospect of being present and assisting at the solution
of a mystery of so dark a character was enticing. On the
other hand, my natural diffidence made me hint to the
profe ssor that I was not likely to be- of any great use as a
scientific detective.
"Pooh! pooh!" returned Heir Schumann, good natur-
edlv. " I will see to all that. What 1 want is a rcsp'
nV.le unit trustworthy witness, whose word will
respect, and 1 know no American in risa but you."
It would have be i-n affe ctution to make any reply, be
yond an expre ssion of willingness to attend, and we parted
with the understanding that I should call at flu- Soffareno
palace at It o'clock. It was a fine-, hot afternoon in S'-p-te-mbe
r. As 1 iisc-crich-d the broad stone ste ps of tin huge
mansion, built in that huge and stately style which only
Italian architects employ the re was an utter stilltiess m
the air. an almost oppressive calm. A sultry mist en
shrouded the landscape-, the trees droope-d tlnir branches,
the flowers were sunk upon their stalks, the birds had
ceased to sing. A richly live-rie-d servant prece-iie-d me with
cat like footfall through noble halls and up maj'-stic stalr
'ways Into a large, low saloon, draped and frescoed in the
taste of the last gene-ration of dilettantes. Itut I had no
time- to mark the details of the couches and bronzes and
confusion of orname nts, for the re were already pri se tit
and only waiting my arrival the tall, swarthy Italian and
his strangely contrasted companion, the- bustling, beetle
browed professor.
A rapid introduction .to Count Assorll followed, and
the three- of us immediately set out for the chambe r which
contain-d "The Picture of the Curse."
We had not a long distance to tra- e-rse. Passing down
a few broad, shallow stairs, which descended at right
angled to the principal Might, we proc-eedi el along a spa
clous, well lit until ry. and halted nt the third door. Our
guide, the savant, displayed the- key which he- hud se
cured on the disastrous occasion de scribed by him to me,
and tlie next moment the door stood ojen.
Looking through it. 1 perceived that It opened on the
center of an oblong apartment. At tiie end to our b-f't. as we
stood at 'the entrance, was the jumble of table s and chairs,
of paintings, vases, and othe r movable decorations which
the ill fated young Soffareno had descrils d to his sister.
Then, immediately in front of us. was a bare space, and
to the right, in w hich dire ction our vie w- was lute rcepte d
by the open door, lay. without doubt, the object of our
m-arch.
Tin re was a brief deliberation before we entered.
The count desired to be the first across the thresh
old, conceiving that arrangeiiuiit to be the one dic
tated by honor. Put the German, whose manne r was
grave, eonvincid him that a different procedure was
udvisahle.
" Your part." he said. " Is'to enter the room in as
ordinary a manner as you can command, and devote
yourself to the one task of inspecting the portrait
which you will find there.
We on the other hand,
must re-strlct ourselves to
watching, not the picture, but
you. To do this with comple te
effect we must take our stations
In idvance. so as not to lose,
sight of a single movement of
yours from the Instant you
come In sight of your object.
We will, therefore, enter first,
and at a signal from me you
will follow, taking no notice
whatever of our presence and
endeavoring, aliove all things,
to prese rve the demeanor of one
who is deeply interested In
scanning the features of the
portrait and who is oblivious of
all besides."
Assorll having acquiesced in
these obse rvations. Heir Schumann led the way Into the
room As we ha.l expected, the first object tint caught
our eyes as we passed beyond the iloor was the work of
Audti-H Chlatto From that instant 1 paid no attention to
my companion, but. after a lusty glance- at the portrait,
which was an txtrenicly beautiful one. 1 took my stand
against the- wall and fixed my gaze ti) the direction from
which the count was to approiie h. Immediate ly the signal
was givn by the proles or. who had taken his position
i lose to ail old high backed i hair, w hu h stood In front of
the- pl.-turi and a few yards away from it.
Assorll walked Into the chamber with a steady tread.
His face was pah-, but In showed no other sign of emo
tion. Taking a ceeirpreh- nsive glance around him. he at
once caught sight of the object yvhich was to absorb his
attention, and he ste pe-el 1, hi" rate 1- ove r the Moor in Its
direction Noticing the chair a he- approached, and see
ing that It was placed conveniently for any one- de-siting to
study th" portrait, he toe.k his seat In it and leaned back
against the pad,!-d i us-lon of the- antieiue frame-. For
se veral minutes 1 noticed nothing more.
Tln-n. all at one. ! thought I disi-erned a slight change
lu the attituele of the- man I was watching. His eye lulls,
all the time turned st.-aihly in the- direction of the canvas
appeared to me to be getting brighte-r and projecting
sonn what from the ir sockets. IMrectly afte-r a gray hue
swept alios- his- face. and. catching his breath, he- h-t his
lead sink slightly b. two. n his shoulders He was now. I
noticed, sitting upright, having discarded the support of
tin- e lm ir hack.
Hi fore- 1 had time to draw any conclusions of my ow n
my companion inte rveti.-d.
" Kis.-. 1 he- crl.-d. in a strained, epiic k voice " Rise
and c-eime- away. 1 have seen enough."
Tie- Italian turned his bend with a startle-d. involun
tary move no nt. and then, in tin- act of springing to his
fe-et se-e-ine-el suddenly to realize that he- was ill. The
ashen tinge I had remarked had uovv deepened to a
li-ide n pallor, and he put his ha tie! feebly on his head as tic
pr.ilessor took a step to his side. and. drawing the count's
arm within his own. assisted him out to the corridor.
The re we d. posite-d him on a chair for 1 had lent my help
as will and then Ih-rr Schumann beckoned me- back Into
the chamber.
see?" In- whispered to me. with a
loi s;i ki n his face
die W out a shut
" I w ill not a
In llish my sti ry t
lihef. Itely Insetted tile blade
silk and lipped It cor. pic lily
To oar ti use- gaze th- le
e asc Itr.be elded In c oarse w w
-. ..VI 1 I
I to. e.
I luevc
lis w
et the
eipetl.
w res rev i a I
-1 and sttav
lge of tl
I laois, It. .illei
.le d to Ope tl
fathomed tins
.tits as he de-
i rims. .n
" What did
troubled, fearful air.
" I lid you noti'
cushion on the bm '
" One nionte-ni '
at once- and h.isiii
as If soinelliing had
1 had not pen i i .
have- noted its signifii
confessed as much.
" There lies the secret.
towards the chair.
there the- fainte st
lift this chair out
it at le isure."
As he spoke he laid his liud on one ol the arms, while
I follow ed his example ..n t lie opposite side A simul
taneous cry of nervous horror broke from both of us. The
chrlr was firmly rooted to the floor!
1 felt a cold shudder creeping through e very vein as I
began to dimly guess at the nature of the diabolical con
trivance by which two lives perhaps fout lives had been
my companion, the blood had literally
that he leant against that red silk
id you see him start upright again
i. ss his right hand down his back
ritated it?"
d that action, nor should I perhaps
nice if 1 had beer, watching It I
he announced, advancing
In that action und In that alone is
i lew to what has happened. Help me to
if tin- room to where we can examine
sacrificed.
I a square- st.-l
and re si nib ling
a clock without a face Where the hands would have
lien In a el.e. k. however, theti projei tee a tiny nei'dV.
half an Inch long and of ixtieme sh.it pi ess
"That is what si. it, ld him." Inut'eted the professor
"Put how e .mid that cause tin sy it plums we saw? We
must ope-ij this 1 1 1. 1 hi"..
I COllfeSS I fell IIO S I ll t 1 I 1 1 1 . ' t . I II l I t O I Oil C' ll i 1 1 g fllf-
ther Put I was ashamed to draw back, and 1 assisted to
hold the- ste.l box lu Us pi. id-, while my companion plied
It open with l is kniic blade It was not so strongly made'
but It yie hle-d to lis iff. .its. The I runt tei elown. leaving
the ne-ecr.e- in its place, .mil We thin peiccivcd that the
l itter It us i i'iiii.'c te'd ve nh a narrow Jar or tube con
taining liquid The s. i. Mist i 11 ssed his thumb mill against
the- point, and a little- jet of the jars contents instantly
suffused the needle.
At this sight lis expression grew grnvir yet. He
wrenched the via I an i fiee-o ns place and cautiously
tlSt. li the- Oilol Of the- li ,'li.J I'lllle hillg Ills lec tll. lie Set
the vial down with a sing!. . hilling wotd.
" Aconite-"'
" My flesh c rept as 1 witnessed this gradual unearthing.
at the distance- eef twe-ntv veals, of Chl.itto's Infernal
sehe-ine of v i nge a nee- The coin 1 1 . i nee uns ine-i hnnlcally
pet feet 1 1 u inn u being nfier human be leg had conic and
sat down in the seat so invitingly placei t'i them, had
hunt bin k in It had f. It the faint prick which pave -el the
Way for the passage -if the ecellce nt i af eel poison into their
veins, and. failing to give It more than n passing thought,
had attributed the subsequent paralysis of tlnir faculties
t" some agency beyond tin- teac h of sc ience. The old man,
the happy youth, the beautiful maiden, an., now the chival
rous soldie r, had be. n immolated to glut the hatred of
the painter lo the house- of SoTateno. A nil but for the
lynx-liki sag. n-iiy of tin- foieign savant the veil of mys
tery would have iimuinid undrawn, end possibly yet
other victims would hav. 'hand tin satin- appalling fate.
You will ask me- whetl-el there was no pcesslhilltv of
saving tin- lovely Heh-na and her betrothid In he-r case,
alas! the discovery ciillle toil late, and she expired Within
tin- lie xl few hours Her lovii might, jee rhnps. have be e n
saved, hut when he- learned the fate- of his mistress he
re fuse-d the proffeied antidote nnd voluntarily followe-d
her to the tomb
One- only explunat ion further 1 sought from the suc
cessful investigator whose- efforts had been so nilserahly
robbed of their rewind I asked him tee ac count for the
gre at dilTi-ri in in time between the eepe intion of the poi
son in tin- ease of Chiatto's first vieiim and In those of
the other three
" In the case of the old marquis." he-
aconite was freshly distilled, and did Its
idly Probably nothing could have save-d hltn. After
twenty years it had lost seetne of Its power, and had rem
edies b.-e-n promptly applied .1 atli would. In my opinion
have- been averted lint they believed In the supernatural
i hara -te-r of the attack, and re signe d the mseivos without a
struggle to Its powi-r."
Now the palac e of the Soffare-nl Is faPing into ruin. Its
tre-asures have been dispetsed by the distant heirs, and
only a few of the old friends of the race recognize in the
" Portrait of a l-iidy." which smiles from the walls of a
Roman gallery, the blood stained masterpiece of Amlrta
Chlatto.
inswered. " the
work more rnp-
il.nt the v,""-u- i
h k I j
hiS sji V MHF: 5s--te. I .1 IS' H' i. .w.-.,...-.,. lt,i I
avm'tsi ra i v$ hum dr. j is w j.'! i
command K fi '.2 Z"i Z -ift ti K I "JfVV V I
lift! UK m
