Farewell Nikola: Chapter 05

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter five of Farewell Niccola by Guy boothby this LibriVox
recording is in the public domain. Chapter five. The more
I thought, upon my strange visit to the Palace Lavichi,
that evening, the more puzzled I was by it. It
had so many sides, and each so complex that I

(00:23):
scarcely knew which presented the most curious feature. What Nicholas
real reason had been for inviting me to call upon him,
and why he should have told me the story, which
I felt quite certain was that of his own life,
was more than I can understand. Moreover, why having told
it me, he should have so suddenly requested me to

(00:44):
think no more about it? Only adding to my bewilderment,
the incident of the two men an extraordinary conjuring trick.
For conjuring trick, it certainly was, in the real meaning
of the word he had shown us, did not help
to elucidate matters if the truth must be told, It
rather added to the mystery than detracted from it. To

(01:04):
sum it all up, I found that will I endeavored
to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, remembering also
his strange remark concerning Miss Trevor, that I was far
and coming to any conclusion as I'd been at the beginning.
You can have no idea how nervous I've been on
your account to night, said my wife. When I reached
her room after dinner. The Duke gave us a description

(01:27):
of doctor Nichola's room and told us its history. When
I thought of your being there alone with him, I
must confess I felt almost inclined to send a message
to you imploring you to come home. That would have
been a great mistake, my dear, I answered, he would
have offended Niccola, and we don't want to do that.
I'm sorry the Duke told you that terrible story. He

(01:48):
should not have frightened you with it. What did go
to Trevor think of it? She did not say anything
about it, my wife replied, But I could see that
she was as frightened as I was. I am quite
sure you not get either of us to go there, however,
pressing doctor Nicholas's invitation might be. Now tell me what
he wanted to see you about. Felt lonely and wanted

(02:09):
some society, I answered, having resolved that on no account
will I tell her all the truth concerning my visit
to the Palace Ravici. He also wanted me to witness
something connected with the scheme he has originated for enabling
people to get out of the country unobserved by the police.
For I left, he gave me a good example of
the power he possessed. I then described to her the

(02:32):
arrival of the two men and the lesson Nichola had
read to the police agent, a portion dealing with a
conjuring trick. I omitted. No good could have accrued from
frightening her, and I knew that the sort of description
I should be able to give of it would not
be sufficiently impressive to enable her to see it in
the light I desired. In any other way, it would

(02:54):
have struck her as ridiculous. The man grows more and
more extraordinary ey day, she said. The least extraordinary thing
about him is the way he affects other people. For
my own part, I must confess that while I fear him,
I like him. The Duke is frankly afraid of him.
You are interested and repelled in turn. Or Gertrude I
fancy regards him as a sort of supernatural being who

(03:17):
may one day turn into a horse or a dog
at a moment's notice or signor. Galaghatti, with whom I
had a short conversation to day concerning him, was so
enthusiastic in his praises that for once words failed him.
He had never met any one so wonderfully declared he
would lay down his life for him, he would appeal.
On one occasion, when Nichola was staying at the hotel,

(03:40):
he cured Galaghatti's eldest child of diphtheria. The child was
at the last gasp and the doctors had given her
up when Nicola made his appearance upon the scene. What
he did or how he did it, Galaghatti did not
tell me, but it must have been something decidedly irregular,
for the other doctors were aghast and left the house
in her body. The child, however, rallied from that moment, and,

(04:04):
as Galaghatty proudly informed me, is now the artista of
great repute upondy Piano forty in Paris. I have never
heard of her, but it would appear that Gallaghatty not
only intributes her life but also our musical success toil.
The fact that Niccola was staying in the hotel at
the time when the child was taken ill. The Duke
was with me when Gallaghatty told me this, and when

(04:26):
he heard it, he turned away with an exclamation that
sounded very like humbug. I do hope that doctor Nicolo
and the Duke won't quarrel. As she put this in
the form of a question, I felt inclined to reply
with the expression the Duke had used. I did not
do so, however, but contented myself with assuring her that
she need have no fears upon that score. A surprise, however,

(04:50):
was in store for me. What have they to quarrel about?
I asked? They have nothing in common, and it proves
how blind you are to what goes on around you.
My wife replied, have you not noticed that they both
admire Gertrude Trevor? Falling so pat upon my own thoughts,
this gave me food for serious reflection. Do you know
that Niccola admires her? I asked a little sharply. I fear,

(05:13):
for when one has uncomfortable suspicions, one is not always
best place to find that another shares them. A double
suspicion might be described as almost amounting to a certainty.
I am confident of it. She replied, did you not
notice his manner towards her on the night of the excursion?
It was most marked, My dear girl, I said, irritably,

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if you are going to begin this sort of thing,
you don't know where you will find yourself. In the end.
Nicker has been a wanderer all his life. He has
met people of every nationality, of every rank and description.
It is scarcely probable charming, though I am prepared to
admit she is, that he would be affected by our friend. Besides,
I had it from his own lips this morning that

(05:54):
he will never marry. You may be just as certain
as you please, she answered. Nevertheless, I had heard to
my opinion, knowing what was in my own mind, and
feeling that if the argument continued, I might let something
slip that I should regret. I withdrew from the field, and,
having questioned her concerning certain news she had received from
England that day, bade her good night. The next morning

(06:18):
we paid a visit to the Palace of the Doages.
It so but a pleasant and instructive couple of hours
in the various rooms. Whatever nicholas feelings may have been,
there was by this time not the least doubt that
the Duke could mind missed Trevor. Though the land had
known her for so short a time, it was already
head over ears in love. I think Gertrude was aware

(06:38):
of the fact. I felt sure that she liked him,
Whether the time was not yet ripe, or her feminine
instinct warned her to play her fish for a while
before attempting to land him, I cannot say. At any rate,
she more than once availed herself of an opportunity and
moved away from him to take her place at my side.

(06:58):
As you may suppose, glen Barth was not rendered any
of the happier by these maneuvers. Indeed, by the time
we left the palace, he was as miserable as a
human being has could have been found in all in venice.
Before lunch, however, she relended a little towarding, and when
we sat down to the meal in question, our friend
had in some measure recovered his former spirits. Not so

(07:21):
my wife, however, though I did not guess it, I
was in for a wigging. How come you treat the
poor fellow so badly, she said indignantly, when we were
alone together afterwards. If you're not very careful. You'll spire everything,
spoil what I inquired as if I did not understand
to what she alluded, you've lately developed the habit and
speaking in riddles. Fiddle did? She answered scornfully, you know

(07:43):
very well to what I allude. Think your conduct of
the palace this morning was disgraceful. You were married man
and a father. Try and spoil the pleasure of that
poor young man, she began, and I answered, in self defense,
did you not see that she preferred my company to his?
Of course that was only make believe. My wife replied,
you are as well aware of that as I am.

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I know nothing of the kind. I return. If the
girl does not know her own mind, and it is
safer that she should pretend as she did to day,
she was not pretending. You know that Gertrude Trevor is
as honest as the day, Then you admit that she
was only playing her fish. I said, if you're going
to be vulgar, I shall leave you. She retorted him,
I don't know what you mean by playing her fish.

(08:27):
Gertrude only came to you because she didn't want to
allow her liking for the Duke to appear too conspicuous.
It's the same thing in the end, I answered, believe
me it is. You describe it as not making her
conduct appear too conspicuous, well, I call it playing her fish.
Of the best possible recollection of a young lady used
to play coits with me on the deck of the

(08:48):
Orotova a good many years ago. One day we were
approaching Naples at the time. She played game after game
with the doctor and snubbed me unmercifully. You know very
well I didn't mean that she out of a stab
of her foot. You know I had to act as
I did. I don't mind admitting that, I replied. Nevertheless,
you were playing your fish that night after dinner, you

(09:09):
forgave me, and she slipped her arm through mine and
gave it a hub. I could afford to be generous.
Those were the dear old days were or not? For
while I'm not going to quarrel about them, let's go
and find the others. We discovered them in the balcony
listening to some musicians on a gondola below. Miss Trevor
plainly hailed her coming with delight. The Duke, however, was

(09:32):
by no means so well pleased. He did his best, however,
to conceal his Shaggrin going to the edge of the balcony,
I looked down at the boat. The musicians were four
in number, two men and two girls. At the moment
of our putting in an appearance. One of them was
singing the Ave Maria from the Cavalieri Austicana, in a

(09:53):
manner that I had seldom heard it song before. She
was a handsome girl and knew the value of her
good looks. Beside her stood a man with a guitar,
and I gave a start as I looked at him.
De my eyes deceived me. Was this the man who
had accompanied the police agent Nicholas residence on the previous evening?
I looked again, and I felt that I could not

(10:15):
be mistaken. He possessed the same bullet head and the
close cropped hair, the same clean shaven face, the same
peculiarly square shoulders. No, I felt sure that he was
a man. But if so, what was he doing here
under our windows? One thing was quite apparent. If he
recognized me, he did not give me evidence of the fact.

(10:35):
He played and looked up at us without the slightest
sign of recognition. To all intents and purposes, he was
the picturer of indifference. While they were performing, I recalled
the scene of the previous night and wondered what had
become of the police officer, and what the man below
me had thought of the curious trick Niccola had performed.
It was only when they had finished their entertainment, and,

(10:57):
having received our reward, were about to move away, that
I received any information to the effect that the man
had recognized me A lusty signor Senorito and signor's Oh
thank you, he said, politely, lifting his hat as he spoke.
Our performance has been successful, and the obstacle which surredned
it at one time has been removed. The gondola then

(11:19):
passed on. I turned to the dup as if for
an explanation. At first, the hall porter was not inclined
to let them sing here, the deep remarked, but Miss
Trevor wanted to hear them, so I sent word down
that I wished them to remain. In spite of the explanation,
I understood to what the man had referred, but for
the life of me could not arrive at his reason

(11:40):
for visiting our hotel that day. I argued that it
might have been all a matter of chance. But I
soon put that idea aside as absurd. The coincidence was
too remarkable. At lunch, my wife announced that she had
heard that morning that Lady Beltingham, the wife of our
neighbor in the forest, was in Venice, staying at a

(12:00):
certain hotel further along the Grand Canel go to and
I go to call upon her this afternoon. She said,
so that you two gentlemen must amuse myself as best
you can without us. That is very easily done. I answered.
The Duke is going to have his hair cut, and
I am going to witness the atrocity. You may expect
to see him return. And unlike that man with the

(12:22):
guitar in a boat this morning. By the way, said
Glen Barth. That reminds me I was going to point
out a curious thing to you concerning that man. Did
you notice, Miss Trevor, that when we were alone together
in the balcony, he did not once touch his instrument,
but directly Hatteras, and Lady Hatteras had I he jumped
up and began to play. This confirmed my suspicions. I

(12:45):
had quite come to the conclusion by this time that
the man had only made his appearance before the hotel
in order to be certain of my dress. Yet I
had to ask myself, if he were in Nicholas's employ
why should he have to be anxious to do so.
An hour later, the ladies departed on their polite errand,
and the Duke and I were left together. He was

(13:07):
not what I should call a good companion. He was
in an irritable mood. Nothing I could do or say
seemed to comfort him only very well. What was the matter?
And when we had exhausted English politics and the rise
and fall of Venice Ruskin and the advantages of foreign travel,
I mentioned, incidentally the name of Miss Trevor. The frown

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vanished from his face, and he answered, like a coherent mortal.
Look here, how to us? He said, with a fine
burst of confidence. You and I have been friends for
a good many years. I think we know each other
about as well as two men can do. That is so,
I answered, wondering what he was driving at. We've been
through some strange adventures together and should certainly know each other.

(13:52):
I hope that you are not going to propose that
we should depart on some harem Scarom expedition like that.
You wanted me to join you in last year to
the Pamirs, was it not? If so, I can tell
you once and for all that my lady won't hear
of it. Confound the Pamiers, he replied angrily, Is it
likely that I should think of going there? Just now?

(14:14):
You misunderstand my meaning entirely. What I want is a
sympathetic friend. You can enter into my troubles and if possible,
help me out of them. For the life of me,
I could not forbear from teasing him for a little longer.
My dear old fellow, I said. You know that I
will do anything I possibly can to help you. Take
my advice and get rid of the man at once.

(14:36):
As I told you in my letter to you before
he left England, it is only misplaced kindness to keep
him on. You know very well that he's been unfaithful
to you for some years past. Then why I allow
him to continue in his wrongdoing? The smash will come
sooner or later. What do you mean, he asked, Well,
I suppose your trouble is connected with the agent you
were telling me of yesterday. The man who was discovered

(14:59):
had been making the accounts, selling your game, pocketing the proceedge,
and generally feathering his own ness at your expense. An
ominous frown gathered upon my friend's forehead. On my word,
he said, I really believe you're taking leave of your senses.
Do you think I'm bothering myself at such a time,
at that wretched Mitchell. Let him sell every beast upon

(15:20):
the farms, every head of game, and a point of fact,
let him swindle me as he likes, and I wouldn't
give a second thought to him. I'm very sorry, I answered, penitently,
rolling the leaf of my cigar. Then it was the
yacht you were thinking about. You have what I consider
a very good offer for it. Let her go. You're
rich enough to be able to build another, and the

(15:41):
work will amuse you. You want employment of some sort.
I'm not thinking of the yacht either, he growled. You
know that as well as I do. How should I
know it? I answered, I'm all able to tell you
what is in your mind. I do not happen to
be like Nikola. You are singularly obtuse. Today he is
throwing what remains of his cigar in the canal and

(16:03):
taking another from his case. Look here, I said, you're
pitching into me because I can't appreciate your position. Now,
how am I likely to be able to do so,
considering that you've told me nothing about it. Before we
left London, you informed me that the place you had
purchased in Warwickshire was going to prove your chief worry
in life. I said, sell it again. Then you found

(16:24):
that your agent in Yorkshire was not what he might be.
Advised you to get rid of him. You would not
do so because of his family. Then you confessed in
a most lugubrious fashion that your yacht was practically becoming
unsee worthy by reasonable age. I suggested that you should
sell her to d side who likes her, or part
with her for a junk. You vowed you would not

(16:47):
do so because she was a favorite. Now you're unhappy,
and I naturally suppose it must be one of these
things which is causing you uneasiness. You scouted the idea.
What therefore am I to believe upon my word? My friend,
I did not remember that you have always declared your
abhorrence of the sex. I should begin to think you
must be in love. He looked at me out of

(17:08):
the corner of his eye. I pretended not to notice it, however,
and still rolled a leaf of my cigar. Would it
be such a very mad thing if I did fall
in love? He asked at last. My father did so
before me, and I believe my grandfather did also. You
yourself committed the same indiscretion, and have you seen the
miserable result. I have observed one of the happiest couples

(17:31):
in the world, he replied, but joking apart hatteras. I
want to talk the matter over with you seriously. I
don't mind telling you at once that as between friend
and friend, and I want to marry Miss Trevor. I
endeavored to look surprised, but I fear the attempt was
a failure. I remind you, I said you none are

(17:51):
barely a week. I don't want to discourage you, but
it is not your affection of rather quick growth. It is,
but it does not mean that I am not the
less sincere. I tell you candidly, Dick, I've never seen
such a girl in my life. She would make any
man happy, very likely, but would any man make her happy?
His face fell and he shifted uneasily in his chair.

(18:15):
Confound you, He said, he put everything in a new light.
Why should I not be able to make her happy?
There are lots of women who would give their lives
to be a duchess. I admit that, I answered, I
don't fancy. However, your rank will make much difference with
Miss Trevor. When a woman is a lady and in love,
she doesn't mind very much whether the object of her
affections is a duke or a chimney sweep. But make

(18:38):
the mistake of believing that the duke don't counts for
everything where the heart is concerned. We outside her should
have no chance at all if that were the case.
But hatteras he said, I didn't mean that. I'm not
such a cad as to imagine that Miss Trevor would
marry me simply because I happen to have a handle
to my name. I want to put the matter plainly.
Before you told you that I love her, do you

(18:59):
think there's any chance of her taking a liking to me?
But now that you have told me, what is in
your mind? I answered, I can safely state my opinion.
Mind you, I know nothing about the young lady's ideas.
But if I were a young woman and an exceedingly
presentable young man. You may thank me for the compliment afterwards,
or to lay his heart at my feet, especially when

(19:20):
that heart is served up on strawberry leaves and five
pound notes. I fancy I should be inclined to think
twice before I discouraged his advances. Whether Miss Trevor will
do so, however, it's quite another matter. Then you are
not able to give me any encouragement. I will wish
you God's speed upon your enterprise, I said. If that
is any satisfaction to you, I cannot do more. As

(19:43):
I said it, I held up my hand, which he
took and shook. God bless you, old man. He said,
you don't know what all this means to me. I've
suffered agonies these last two days. I believe I should
go mad if it continued. Yesterday she was kindness itself
to day. She would scarcely speak to me. I believe
Lady Hatteras takes my side. I was not to be

(20:03):
caught napping. You must remember that Lady Hatteras herself is
an impressionable young woman. I answered, she likes you and
believes in you. Because she does, she thinks a friend
ought to do so. Also, now look here, your grace,
you needn't put on any side of that kind, he answered, reproachfully,
I believe I'm talking to the Duke of glen Blarth.
I returned, you are talking to your old friend, the

(20:26):
man who went round the world with you. If that's
what you mean, he answered, what does he have to say?
I want you to plainly understand that miss Trevor is
my guest. I want you also to realize, however difficult
it may be, that you've only known her a very
short time. She is a particularly nice girl, as you
yourself have admitted, It would be scarcely fair. Therefore, if

(20:48):
I were to permit you to give her the impression
that you were in love with her, and you have
really made up your mind, think it well over. Take
another week, shall we say a fortnight? A month would
be better still, he gruned in despair. You might as
well say a year while you are about it. What
is the use of my waiting even a week when
I know my own mind already because you must give

(21:09):
your affection time to set. Take a week the end
of that time is still as much in earnest as
you are now, or the matter will be worth thinking about.
Then you can speak to the young lady or not
as you please. On the other hand, should your opinion
of change, that I have been your only confidant and
no harm has been done. If she accepts you, I
can honestly say that no one will be more delighted

(21:31):
than myself. If not, you must look elsewhere, and then
she must marry the man she likes better. Do you
agree as I can't help myself. I suppose I must,
he answered, But my position during the next week is
not likely to be a very cheerful one. I don't
see it all, why, I replied. Lots of others have
been compelled to do their courting under harder auspices myself.

(21:54):
For instance, Here you are staying in the same house
as the object of your affections. Eat almost every hour
of the day. You have innumerable opportunities of paying your
court to her. Yet with all these advantages you abuse
your lot. I know I'm an ungrateful beast, he said.
I joked it when one is as much in love
as I am with the most adorable woman in the world,

(22:16):
and matters don't seem to go like one ought to
be excused if oneing feels inclined to quarrel with somebody.
Quarrel away with all your heart answered, And now I'm
going down with you to the hairdresser. After that we'll
go to the Piaza. I suppose I must, he said,
rising from his chair with a fine air of resignation.
And what fun you can discover in that crowd. I cannot,

(22:36):
for the life of me imagine. I did not remind
him that on the previous afternoon he had declared it
to be the most amusing sight in Europe. That would
have been an unfair advantage to have taken, particularly as
I had punished him enough already. We accordingly procure our
hats and sticks, and, having secured a gondolas, set off.
It's a lovely afternoon. The Grand Canal was crowded, as if.

(23:00):
Past the entrance to the Rio del Consiglio, I stole
a glance at the Palace La Vichi. No gondola was
at the door, so whether Nichola was at home or
abroad I could not say when Golembarth had been operated upon.
We proceeded to the Piazza of Saint Mark, which we
reached somewhat before the usual afternoon promenade. The band had

(23:20):
not commenced to play, and the idlers were few in number.
Having engaged two chairs at one of the tables, we
sat down an ordered coffee. The Duke was plainly illiedes
He fretted and figeted continually, his eyes scarcely wandered from
the steps of the lagoon, and every gondola that drew
up received his scrutinizing attention. When at last two ladies

(23:42):
disembarked and made their way across the stones towards Florian's calf,
where we were seated, I thought he would have made
an exhibition of himself. Lady Beltingham, it would seem, had arrived,
but was so fatigued by a long journey that she
was unable to receive visitors. We returned almost immediately to
the hotel. My wife said, reproachfully, we thought you'd have

(24:03):
waited for us there. Glen Barth looked at me as
nothing I could ever do wou make up for the
enormity of my offense. He then described to Miss Trevis
and Wondel photographs he had discovered that morning in a
certain shop on the other side of the piazza. She
questioned him concerning them, and I suggested that she go
off and overhaul them. This they did, and when they departed,

(24:24):
my wife produced some letters for me she had taken
from the rack at the hotel. I looked at the
writing on the envelope of the first, but for a
moment could not recall where or when I'd seen it before.
Then I opened it and withdrew the contents. Why, Sir
George an Strudle, I exclaimed, when I examined this signature.
He's in Algiers. What's the letter about? My wife inquired.

(24:46):
He not heard for him for so long. I'll read it,
I said, and began, as follows, my dear Hatteras here
I am in the most charming place in the whole Mediterranean,
and I ought to know, for I've seen and loathed
all the others. My villa overlooks the sea in my
yacht rides at anchor in the bay. Now many nice
people here are not The least pleasant is my very

(25:07):
good friend Don Jose di Martinos, who is leaving to
day for his first visit to Venice via niece, and
I understand from him that he is to stay at
your hotel. He is a delightful creature, as seem much
of the world, And if you will admit him to
the circle of your acquaintance, I don't think you will
regret it. I need not bore either myself or you

(25:28):
by repeating the hackneyed phrases to the effect that any
civility you show him will be considered a kindness to myself,
et cetera, et cetera. Remember me most kindly to Lady Hatteras,
and believe me to be ever sincerely yours, George and Struther.
My wife uttered a little cry of vexation, pleasant though

(25:49):
he may prove, cannot help saying that I am sorry.
Don Jose Martinos is coming. She said, Our little party
of four were so happily arranged, and who knows but
that a fifth may upset its peace all together. But
he's Anstruther's friend, I said, in expostulation, I must be
civil to one's friend's friends. I don't at all see why,

(26:09):
she answered, as we like mister Anstruther, it does not
follow that we shall like his friend. At that moment,
the young couple were to be observed crossing the piazza
in our direction. Gwm Barth carried a parson under his arm.
I don't think there's much doubt about that affair, said
my wife, as she regarded them approvingly. Don't be too sure,
I answered. There is many a slip TwixT the cup

(26:30):
and the lip. And there's another old saying to the
effect that those who live longest see most. One is
sometimes oracular, even in jess end of Chapter five,