Farewell Nikola: Chapter 07

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter seven of Farewell Niccolo by Guy Boothby this libriovox
recording is in the public domain. Chapter seven. You surely
are not going to dine with doctor Niccoler in that
strange house, said my wife, when we were alone together
that night, after what the Duke has told us. I
wonder you can be so foolish, my dear girl, I answered,

(00:24):
I don't see the force of your argument. I sha'n't
be the first who has eaten a meal in the
house in question. I don't suppose I should be the last.
What do you think will happen to me? Do you
think that we have returned to the times of the Boorgiers,
that Niccola will poison us? Now? I am looking forward
to a very enjoyable and instructive evening while we are

(00:44):
sitting at home wondering if the table is disappearing bodily
into the vaults and taking you with it, or whether
Niccola is charging the side dishes with some of its
abominable chemistry by which you will be put to sleep
for three months, or otherwise experimenting upon you in the
interest of what equals science. I don't think it's at
all kind of you to go, dear girl, I answered,

(01:07):
are you not a little unreasonable? Knowing that be Martinos
has but lately arrived in Venice, also that he is
a friend of ours, For did he not meet him
in our company? It's only natural that Nicholas should desire
to show him some courtesy in spite of its decay.
The Palace Levici is an exceedingly beautiful building, and when
he heard that Martinos would like to visit it, he

(01:29):
invited him to dinner. What can be more natural? This
is the nineteenth century. I'm sure I don't mind what
century it is, she replied. I still adhere to what
I said just now. I am sorry that you are going.
In that case, I am sorry also, I answered, but
as the matter stands, I failed to see how I
can get out of it. I could not let the

(01:51):
Duke of Martinos go alone. So what can I do?
I suppose you will have to go, she replied ruefully.
I have a presentiment, however, that will result from it.
With that, the subject was dropped. It was not until
the following morning, when I was smoking with den Barth
after breakfast, that it cropped up again. Look here, Dick, said,

(02:12):
my companion then what about this dinner at Nichola's house tonight?
You seem to be very keen on going last night.
Are he's still the same mind this morning? Why not?
I answered, My wife does not like the notion, but
I'm looking forward to seeing Nichola play the host the
last time I dined with him. You must remember his
import side, and then the banquet could hardly be described

(02:33):
as a pleasant one. What is more, I manxious to
see what effect Nicola and his house will produce upon
our friend. The don or should get rid of him altogether,
my companion replied, I disliked the fellow more and more
every time I see him. Where should you? He does
you no harm? It's not that, said Glen Barth. My
dislike to him as instinctive, just as one shudders when

(02:55):
one looks into the face of a snake, or if
one is repelled by a toad or rat. In spite
of his present apparent respectability, I should not be at
all surprised to hear that at some period of his
career he committed murders, innumerable nonsense and nonsense, I replied.
You must not imagine such things as that you were

(03:16):
jealous when you first saw him because she thought he
was going to come beting you and Miss Trevor. You
have never been able to overcome a feeling, and this
continued dislike is the result. You must fight against it. Doubtless,
when you have seen more of him, you will like
him better. I shall never like him better than I
do now, he answered with conviction. As they say in

(03:37):
the plays, my gorge rises at him. If you saw
him in the light I do. He would not let
lady hatteras my dear fellow. I began rising from my
chair and interrupting him. This is theatrical and very ridiculous,
and I assume the right of an old friend to
tell you. So if you prefer not go tonight, I'll
make some excuse for you. But don't, for goodness ake

(03:59):
gone things unpleasant for us all while you are there.
I have no desire to do so, he replied stiffly.
What is more, I am not going to let you
go alone. Write your letter and accept for us both
bother Niccola and Martinos as well. I wish they were
both on the other side of the world. I thereupon
wrote and note to Nicola, excepting on glen Vas's Sehaf

(04:23):
and my own his invitation to dinner for that evening.
Then I dismissed the matter from my mind for the
time being. An hour or so later, my wife came
to see me with a serious faith. I'm afraid, Dick,
that there is something the matter with Gertrude. She said.
She has gone to her room to lie down, complaining
of a very bad headache and a numbness in all
her limbs. I've done what I can for her, but

(04:45):
if she does not get better by lunch time, I
think I shall send for a doctor. As by lunch
time she is no better. The services of an English
doctor were called. In. His report to my wife was
certainly a puzzling one. He declared he could discover nothing
the matter with the girl, or anything to account for
the mysterious symptoms. Is she usually of an excitable disposition,

(05:09):
he inquired, when we discussed the matter together in the
drawing room, Not in the least, I replied, I should
say she is what might be called a very evenly
dispositioned woman. He asked one or two other questions, and
then took leave of us, promising to call again the
next day. Cannot understand it at all, said my wife Nikone.
Gertrude seemed so well last night. Now she lies upon

(05:32):
her bed and complains of this continued pain in her
head and the numbness in all her limbs. Her hands
and feet are as cold as ice, and her face
is as white as a sheet of notepaper. During the afternoon,
Miss Trevor determined to get up, only to be compelled
to return to bed again. Her headache had left her,

(05:52):
but the strange numbness still remained. She seemed impapable, said
my wife, inform me of using her limbs. The effect
upon the Duke may be better imagined than described. His
face was the picture of desolation, and his anxiety was
all the greater, and as much he was precluded for
giving vent to it in speech. I'm afraid that at

(06:13):
this period of his life the young gentleman's temper was
by no means as placid as we were accustomed to
consider it. He was given to flaring up without the
slightest warning, and in looking upon himself and his own
little world in a light that was very far removed
from cheerful. Realizing that we could do no good at home,

(06:35):
I took him out in the afternoon was given to
understand that I was quite without heart, because when we
had been an hour abroad, I refused to return to
the hotel. I wonder if there's anything that Miss Trevor
would like, he said, as he crossed the piazza of
Saint Mark. It could be sent up to her. You know,
in your name, you might send us some flowers. I answered,

(06:56):
you would then send them from yourself. By Jove, that's
the very thing. You do have some good ideas sometimes,
Thank you, I said, quietly. Approbation from Sir Hubert Stanley
is praise. Indeed, bother your silly quotations, he retorted, Let's
get back to that flower shop. We did so, and

(07:17):
thereupon that reckless youth spent upon flowers what would have
kept me in cigars for a month, having paid for
them and given orders that they should be sent to
the hotel Galaghati at once we left the shop. When
we stood outside, I had to answer all sorts of
questions as to whether I thought she would like them,
whether it would not have been better to have chosen

(07:37):
more of one sort than another, or whether the scent
would not be too strong for a sick room. After that,
he felt doubtful whether the shopkeeper would send them in time,
and felt half inclined to return in order to impress
this fact upon the man. Let it be counted to
me for righteousness that I bore with impatiently, remembering my

(07:58):
own feeling at a similar stage my career. When we
reached that hotel, on our return, we discovered that the
patient was somewhat better. She had had a short sleep
and had refreshed her. My wife was going to sit
with her during the evening, and knowing this, I felt
that we might go out with clear consciences. A quarter

(08:19):
to seven we retired to our rooms to dress, and
at a quarter past the hour were ready to start.
When we reached the hall, we found the don awaiting us.
He was dressed with the greatest care and presented not
an unhandsome figure. He shook hands cordially with me and
bowed to Glen Barth, who had made no sign of

(08:41):
offering him his hand. Previous to setting out, I'd extorted
from that young man his promise that he would behave
with courtesy toward the other during the evening. You can't
expect me to treat the fellow as a friend, He
had said in reply, but I will give you my word.
I will be civil to him if that's what you want.
And with this assurance, I was perforce compelled to be content.

(09:05):
Having taken our places in the gondola, which was waiting
for us, we set off. I had the pleasure of
seeing doctor Nicholla this morning, said Martinez, as we turned
into the Rio del Consiglio. He did me the honor
of calling upon me. I gave a start of surprise
on hearing this, indeed, I replied, and wardarar was that
exactly at eleven o'clock? The Don answered, I remember the time,

(09:28):
as I was in the act of going out, and
we encountered each other in the hall. Now it is
a singular thing, a coincidence, if you like. But it
was almost on the stroke of eleven that Miss Trevor
had been seized with her mysterious illness. At a quarter
past the hour, she felt so poorlyous to be compelled
to retire to her room. Of course, there could be

(09:49):
no connection between the two affairs, but there was certainly
a coincidence of a nature calculated to afford me ample
food for reflection. A few moments later, the gondola drew
up at the steps the Palace Ravici. Almost at the
same instant, the door opened and we entered the house.
The courtyard had been lighted in preparation for our coming,

(10:10):
and following the man who had admitted us, we ascended
the stone staircase to the corridor above, and not so
dismal as when I had last seen it, lighted only
by nicholas lantern, it was still sufficiently awesome to create
a decided impression upon the Don. It was certainly not
wrong when you described it as a lonely building, he said,
as we passed along the corridor to Nicholas's room. As

(10:33):
he said this, the door opened and Nicholas stood before us.
We shook hands with the Duke, first, after as with
the Don, and then with myself. Let me offer you
a hearty welcome, he began pray. Enter We followed him
into the room I have already described, and the door
was closed behind us. It was in this apartment that

(10:53):
I expected we should dine, but I discovered that this
was not to be the case. The tables were still
littered with paper, books scientific apparatus, just as when I
had last seen it. Glenbarth seated himself in a chair
by the window. I noticed that his eyes wandered continually
to the oriental rug upon the floor by the fireplace.

(11:15):
He was doubtless thinking of the vaults below, and as
I could easily imagine, wishing himself anywhere else than where
he was. The black cat Apollon, which was curled up
in an armchair, regarded us for a few seconds with
attentive eyes, as if to make sure of our identities,
and then returned to his slumbers. The windows were open,

(11:38):
I remember, and the moon was just rising above the
housetops opposite. I had just gone to the casement and
was looking down upon the still waters below, when the
tapestry of the wall on the right hand side was
drawn aside of the man who admitted us to the house,
who informed Niccola in Italian that dinner was upon the table.
In that case, let us go into it, our host.

(12:00):
Perhaps your grace would be kind enough to lead the way.
Glen Bath did as he was requested, and we followed
him to find ourselves in a large, handsome apartment which
had once been richly frescoed, but was now like the
rest of the palace sadly fallen to decay. In the
center of the room was a small oval table, then

(12:20):
illuminated by a silver lamp, which diffused a soft light
upon the board, the remainder of the room being in
heavy shadow. The decorations, the napery, and the glass and
silver were, as I could see at one glance unique
Three men servants awaited our coming. For where they hailed from,
and how Niccola had induced and d enter the palace.

(12:42):
I could not understand. Niccola, as our host, occupied one
end of the table. Glen Bath, being the principal guest
of the evening, was given the chair on his left.
The don took that on the right, while I faced
him at the further end. How or by whom the
dinner was cooked was another mystery. Niccola had told us
on the occasion of our first visit that he possessed

(13:03):
no servants, and that such cooking as he required was
done for him by an old man who came in
once every day. Yet the dinner he gave us on
this particular occasion was worthy of the finest chef in Europe.
It was perfect in every particular. Oh Nicholas scarcely touched anything.
He did the honors of his table royally, and with

(13:24):
a grace that was quite in keeping with the situation.
Had my wife and Miss Trevor been present, they might,
for all the terrors they had anticipated for us, very
well have imagined themselves in the dining room of some
old English country mansion, waited upon by the family butler,
and taken into dinner by the bishop and rural dean.

(13:45):
But Niccola I had seen when I had last visited
the house was as distant from our present host as
if he had never existed. When I looked at him,
I could scarcely believe that he had ever been anything
else but the most delightful man of my acquaintance as
a great traveler, Don Jose, he said, addressing our guest
on his right hand, You have, of course dined in

(14:05):
a great number of countries, and I expect under a
variety of startling circumstances. Now tell me what is your
most pleasant recollection of a meal that which I managed
to obtain after the fall of Valparisio said, Martinos. We've
been without food for two days, that is to say,
without a decent meal, and I chanced upon a house
where breakfast had been abandoned without being touched. I can

(14:28):
see it now, ye gods, it was delightful, and not
the less so because the old rascal we were after
had managed to make his escape. You were in opposition
to mal Macedena, then, said Nichola quietly. Martine's paused for
a moment before he answered, yes against bell Maasdea. He replied,
I wonder whether the old villain really died, and if so,

(14:50):
what became of his money. That is a question one
would like to have settled concerning a good many people.
Glenbarth put in. There was that man up in the
se Central States, the Republic of Ah. What was its name? Equitina,
said Nicola. I don't know whether you remember the story.
You mean, the fellow who shot those unfortunate young men,
I asked the man you were telling me of the

(15:12):
other night the same Nicola replied, Will he managed to
fly his country, taking with him something like two million dollars?
From that moment he has never been heard of. As
a matter of fact, I do not suppose he ever
will be. After all, luck has a great deal to
do with things in this world. Permit me to pour
out a libation to the god of chance, said Martinez.
He has served me well. I think we can all

(15:36):
subscribe to her, said Nicola. You, Sir Richard, would not
be the happy man you are, had it not been
for a stroke of good fortune which shipwrecked you on
one island in the Pacific instead of another. You, my
dear Duke, would certainly have been drowned in Bournemouth Bay Ano.
Our friend Hatteras chanced to be an early riser and
to have taken a certain cruise before breakfast, while you,

(15:58):
don Martinez, would in all probability not be my guest tonight,
had not. The Spaniard looked sharply at him, as if
he feared what he was about to hear. Had not
what happened? He asked? Had President Balmacida won his day?
Was the quiet reply. He did not do so, however,
And so we four sit here tonight, certainly a libation

(16:21):
to the god of chance. As the dinner came to
an end and the servants withdrew, having placed the wine
upon the table, the conversation drifted from one subject to
another until it reached the history of the palace in
which we were then guests. But the Spaniard's information. Nikola
related it in detail. He did not lay any particular

(16:41):
emphasis upon it, however, as he had done upon the
story he had told the Duke and myself concerning the
room in which he had received us. He merely narrated
it in a matter of fact way, as if it
were one in which he was only remotely interested. I
could not help thinking that he fixed his eyes all
keenly than usual on the Spaniard, who sat sipping his

(17:03):
wine and listening, with an expression of polite attention upon
his sallow face. When the wine had been circulated for
the last time, Nichola suggested that we should leave the
dining room and returned to his own sitting room. I
do not feel at home in this room, he said,
by way of explanation. For that reason I never usually.

(17:23):
I usually partake of such food as I need in
the next and allow the rest of the house to
fall undisturbed into that decay which you see about you.
With that, we rose from the table and returned to
the room in which he had received us. A box
of cigars was produced and handed round. Nicola made coffee
with his own hands at a table in the corner,

(17:44):
and then I awaited the further developments that I knew
would come. Presently, Nichola began to speak of the history
of Venice, as I had already good reason to know.
He had made a perfect study of it, particularly of
the part played in it by the Ruvichi family. He
dealt with a particular emphasis upon the betrayal through the
Lion's mouth, and then, with an apology to Glenbarth and

(18:06):
myself for boring us with it, again referred to the
tragedy of the vaults below the rumor which we were
then seated. Once more, he drew back the carpet, and
the murderous trap door opened. A cold draft, suggestive of
unspeakable horrors, came up to us, and there the starving
wretch died, with the moans of the woman he loved

(18:28):
sounding in his ears from the room above, said Nicholl,
Does it not seem that you can hear them? Now?
For my part, I think they will echo throughout all eternity.
If he had been an actor, what a wonderful tradition
he would have made. As he stood before us, pointing
down into the abyss, he held as spellbound as for
Martine's all the accumulated superstition of the sentries seemed to

(18:51):
be concentrated in him, and he watched Nicholas's face as
if he were fascinated beyond the power of movement. Come
Nicholas again, at last, closing the trap door and placing
the rug upon it. As he spoke, I've heard the
history of the house. You should now do more than that.
You shall see it. Fixing his eyes upon us, he
made two or three passes in the air with his

(19:13):
long white hands. Meanwhile, it seemed to me as if
he were looking into my brain. I tried to avert
my eyes, but without success. They were chained to his
face and I could not remove them. Then an overwhelming
feeling of drowsiness took possession of me. I must have
lost consciousness, but I have no recollection of anything until
I found myself in a place I thought, for a

(19:34):
moment i'd never seen before. Yet after, at a time
I recognized it. There was a bright day in the
early spring. The fresh breeze coming over the islands from
the open sea was rippling the water of the lagoons.
I looked at my surroundings. I was in Venice, and
yet it was not the Venice with which I was familiar.

(19:55):
I was standing with Niffler upon the steps of a house,
the building of which was well nigh complete. It was
a magnificent edifice, and I could easily understand the pride
of the owner as he stood in his gondola and
surveyed it from the stretch of open water. Opposite he
was a tall, handsome man, and he wore a doublet
and hose, shoes with large bows, and a cloak trimmed

(20:16):
with fur. There was also a chain of gold suspended
around his neck. Beside him was a man whom I
likely guessed to be the architect. But presently the taller
man placed his hand upon his shoulder and praised him
for the work he had done, vowing that it was admirable. Then,
at a signal, the gondolier gave a stroke of his oar,
and the little vessel shot across to the steps, where

(20:38):
they landed close to where I was standing. I stepped
back in order and they might pass, but they took
no sort of notice of my presence. Passing on they
entered the house. They do not see us, said Nikola,
who was beside me. Let us enter and hear what
the famous Admiral Francesco del Revici thinks of his property.

(20:58):
We accordingly did so to find ourselves in a magnificent courtyard.
In the center of this courtyard was a well upon
which a carbore and stone was putting the finishing touches
to a design of leaves and fruit. From here led
a staircase, and this we ascended. In the different rooms,
artists were to be observed at work upon the walls,
depicting sea fights, episodes in the history of the Republic

(21:22):
and of the famous master of the house. Before each
the owner paused, bestowing approval, giving advice, or suggesting such
alteration or improvement as he considered needful. In its company,
we visited the kitchens, the pantles's offices, and penetrated even
to the dungeons below the water level. Then we once

(21:43):
more ascended into the courtyard and stood at the great doors,
while the owner took his departure in his barge, pleased
beyond measure with his newer bone. And then the scene
changed once more. I stood before the house with Nicola.
It was night, but it was not for great cressets
flared on either side of the door, and a hundred

(22:04):
torches helped to eliminate the scene. All the great world
of Venice was making its way to the Palace full
of Vicci. That night, the first of the series of
gorgeous fates, given to celebrate the nuptiles of Francesco di
ro Vici, the most famous sailor of the Republic, who
had twice defeated the French fleet, and who had that
day married the daughter of the Duke of Levano, was

(22:26):
in progress. The bridegroom was still comparatively young. He was
also rich and powerful. The bride was one of the
greatest heiresses of Venice, besides being one of its fairest daughters.
Their new home was as beautiful as money, and the
taste of the period could make it small. Wonder was it, therefore,
that the world hastened to pay court to them. There

(22:48):
us once more enter and look about us, said ny
her one moment, I answered, drawing him back the step,
as he was in the act coming into collision with
the beautiful girl who had just diembarked from a gondoler
upon the arm of a gray hair man. You need
have no fear, he replied, You forget that we are
spirits in a spirit world, and that they are not

(23:08):
conscious of our presence. And indeed this appeared to be
the case. No one recognized us for more than once
I saw people approach Nicola, and scarcely believable, though it
may seem, walk through him without being the least aware
of the fact. On this occasion, the great courtyard was
brilliantly illuminated. Scores of beautiful figures were ascending the stairs continually,

(23:31):
or strains of music sounded from the rooms above. Let
us ascend, said Nicholl, and see the pageant there. It
was indeed a sumptuous entertainment. And when we entered the
great reception rooms, no fairer scene could have been witnessing
Venice and looked upon the bridegroom and his bride, and
recognized the former as being the man I'd seen praising
the architect on the skilly had displayed in the building

(23:53):
of the palace. He was more bravely attired now, however,
than on that occasion, honors of his house with the
ease and assurance of one accustomed to uphold the dignity
of his name and position in the world. His bride
was a beautiful girl with a pale, sweet face and
eyes that had haunted one long after they had looked

(24:14):
at them. She was doing a best to appear happy
before her guests, But in my own heart I knew
that such was not the case. Knowing what was before her,
I realized something of the misery that was weighing so
heavily upon her heart. Surrounding her were the proudest citizens,
the proudest republic of all time. There was not one

(24:35):
who did not do her honor. And among the women
who were her guests that night, how many were there
who also envied her good fortune. Then the scene once
more changed. This time the room was that with which
I was best acquainted, the same in which Nikola had
taken up his abode. The frescoes upon the walls and

(24:56):
ceilings were barely dry, and Ravichy was at sea again,
posing his old enemy, the French, who once more threatened
an attack upon the city. It was towards evening, and
the red glow of the sunset shone upon a woman's
face as she stood beside a table at which a
man was writing. I at once recognized her as Ravichi's bride.

(25:17):
The man himself was young and handsome, and when he
looked up at the woman and smiled. The love light
shone in her eyes, as it had not done when
she had looked upon Ravichi. There was no need for
Nikola to tell me that he was Andrea Bunapelli, the
artist to whose skilled the room owed its paintings. Art
though sure twill be safe, Love, asked the woman in

(25:38):
a lone voice, as she placed her hand upon his shoulder.
Remembered his death to bring a false accusation against a
citizen of the republic, and twill be worse when it
is against the great Ravichi. I have borne that in mind,
the man answered, but there is nought to fear, Dear Love,
the writing will not be suspected, and I will drop
it in the lion's mouth myself. And then her only

(26:00):
answer was to bend over and kiss him. He scattered
the sand upon the letter he had written. When it
was dry, folded it up and placed it in his bosom.
Then he kissed the woman once more and prepared to
leave the room. The whole scene was so real that
I could have sworn that he saw me as I
stood watching him. Do not linger, she said in farewell,

(26:21):
I shall know no peace till new return, drawing aside
the curtain, he disappeared, and then once more the scene changed.
A cold wind blew across the lagoon, and there was
a suspicion of coming thunder in the air. A haggard,
ragged Tatamadagnon was standing on the steps of a small
door of the palace. Presently it was opened to him

(26:43):
by an ancient servant, who asked his business and would
have driven him away. And when he had whispered something
to him, however, the other realized that it was his master,
whom he thought to be a prisoner in the hands
of the French. Then, amazed beyond measure, the man admitted him,
having before me the discovery he was about to make.

(27:03):
I looked at him with pity, and when he stumbled
and almost fell, I hastened forward to pick him up,
and only clasped air. At last, when his servant had
told him everything, he followed him to a distant portion
of the palace, where he was destined to remain hidden
for some days, taking advantage of the many secret passages
the palace contained, and by doing so, confirming his suspicions.

(27:27):
His wife was unfaithful to him, and the man who
had wrought his dishonor was the man to whom he
had been so kind and generous a benefactor. I seemed
to crouch by his side time after time in the
narrow passage behind the addas, watching through a secret opening
the love making going on within. I could see the
figure beside me quiver with rage and hate, until I

(27:50):
thought he would burst in upon them, and then the
old servant would lead him away, his finger upon his lips.
How many times I stood with him there, I cannot
say it is sufficient that at last he could bear
the pain no longer, and, throwing open the secret door,
entered the room and confronted the man and woman. As

(28:11):
I write, I can recall the trembling figures of the
guilty pair, and the woman's shriek rings in my ears.
Even now I could see Bonapelli rising from the table
at which he had been seated, with a death look
in his face. Within an hour, the confession of the
crime they had perpetrated against Levichi had been written and signed,

(28:32):
and they were separated and made secure until the time
for punishment should arrive. Then, for the first time since
he had arrived in Venice, he ordered his barge and
set off for the council chamber to look his accusers
in the face and to demand the right to punish
those who had betrayed him. When he returned, his face
was grim and set. There was a look in his

(28:53):
eyes that had not been there before. He ascended to
the room, in which there was a trap door in
the floor. Presently the wretched couple were brought before him
in vain. Buonapetti pleaded for mercy for the woman. There
was no mercy to be obtained there. I would have
pleaded for them too, but I was parless to make
myself heard. I saw the great beads of perspiration that

(29:16):
stood upon the man's brow, the look of agonizing entreaty
in the woman's face, and the relentless decision on her
husband's countenance. Nothing could save them. Now the man was torn,
crying to the last for mercy for her and the
woman's side. The trap door gave a click, and he disappeared.
Then they laid hands upon the woman, and I saw

(29:38):
them force open her mouth. But I cannot set down
the wrist, My tongue clothed to the roof of my mouth,
and though I rushed forward in the hope of preventing
their horrible task. My efforts were as useless as before then,
with a pitiless smile still upon the husband's face, the
moans ascending from the vault below, and the woman with

(29:59):
the scene changed. When I saw it again, a stream
of bright sunshine was flooding the room. It's still the
same apartment in a sense. Not the same frescoes were
faded upon the walls. There was a vast difference in
the shape and make of the furnitures, and in certain
other things. But it was nevertheless the room in which

(30:19):
Francesco Dio Rovichi had taken his terrible revenge. A tall
and beautiful woman some thirty years of age was standing
beside the window, holding a letter in her hand. She
had finished the perusal of it and was lingering with
it in her hand, looking lovely upon the signature. At
last she raised it to her lips and kissed it passionately.

(30:40):
In crossing to a cradle at the further end of
the room, she knelt beside it and looked down at
the child Agontain. She had bent her head in prayer
and was still praying when with a start I awoke
and found myself sitting beside Glen bath and the down
in the room in which we had been smoking after dinner,
Nicholas was standing before the fireplace. There was a look

(31:02):
like that of death upon his face. It was not
until afterwards that the Spaniard and Glenbarth informed me they
had witnessed exactly what I had seen. Both, however, were
a loss to understand the meaning of the last picture,
and having my own thoughts in my mind, I was
not to be tempted into explaining it to them that
was Nichola's own mother, and that this house was her property,

(31:25):
and the same in which the infamous governor of the
Spanish colony had made his love known to her. I
could now see, and if anything were wanting to confirm
my suspicions, Nicholas's face, when my senses returned to me,
was sufficient to do so. Let me go out of
this house, cried the Duke thickly. I cannot breathe while

(31:45):
I am in it. Take me away, Hatteras, for God's sake,
take me away. I had already risen to my feet
and hastened to his side. I think it better that
we should be going, Doctor Nicholly said, turning to our host.
The Spaniard on his side did not utter a word.
He was so dazed to beyond the power of speech.
But Niccola did not seem to comprehend what I said.

(32:06):
Never before had I seen such a look upon his face.
His complexion was always white, but now, however, it was
scarcely human. For my own part, I knew what was
passing in his mind, for I could give no utterance
to it. Come, I said to my companions, as returned
to our hotel. They rose and began to move mechanically

(32:27):
towards the door. The Duke could scarcely reach it, however,
before Niccolo, with what I could see was a violent effort,
recovered his self possession. You must forgive me, he said,
in almost his usual voice. I had, for the moment
forgotten my duties as host. I fear you have had.
But the poor evening, when we had donned our hats
and cloaks for your companied him downstairs through the house,

(32:51):
which was now as silent as the grave, to the
great doors. Upon the steps. Having hailed a gondola, we
entered it. After wishing Niccola good night, he shook hands
with Glen barth and myself, but I noticed that he
did not offer to do so with the don. Then
we shot out into the middle of the canal and
had pleasantly turned the corner and were making our way

(33:11):
towards our hotel. I am perfectly certain that during the
journey not one of us spoke. The events of the
evening had proved too much for us. The conversation was impossible.
We bade martinis good night in the hall, and then
the Duke and I ascended to our own apartments. Spirits
had been placed upon the table, and I noticed that

(33:32):
the Duke helped himself, though almost twice his usual quantity,
he looked as if he needed it. My God, Dickie said,
did you see what happened in that room? Did you
see that woman kneeling with him? Put down his glass
hurriedly and walked to the window. I could sympathize with him,
for had I not seen the same thing myself. It's certain,

(33:53):
Dickie said, when he returned a few minutes later, that
were I to see much more of Nikola in that house,
I should go mad. But why did he let me
see it? Why? Why? For Heaven's sake? Answered me? How
could I tell him the thought that was in my
own mind? How could I reveal to him the awful
fear that was slowly but surely taking possession of me.

(34:15):
Why had Nichola invited the don to his house? Why
had he shown in the picture of that terrible crime
like gum bath. I could only ask the same question,
why why why? End of Chapter seven.