Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 10, 1895, Page 18

THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY, MARCH 10, CHRONICLES —) P e COUNT ANTONIO BY ANT}iONY HOPE. Author of “A Prisoner of ¥enda,” Ito. Copyright, 1804, by A nthony Hope, CHAPTER VIT. COUNT ANTONIO AND THE LADY OF RILANO. From the lips of Tommasino himself, who | was cousin to Count Antonio, greatly loved by him, and partaker in all his enterprises | during the time of his sojourn as an outlaw in the hills, this, the story of the lady of Rilano, came to my venerable brother in Christ, Niccolo; and the same Niccolo, being | an old man, told it to me, so that I know that the story is true and every part of it, | and tread here not the doubtful ground of | legend, but on the' firm rock of the word | of honest men. And there is but one thing doubtful, Tommasino himself being unable to know the verity of it; yet that one thing | is of small moment, for it is no more than whether the lady came first to Duke Valen- tine, offering her aid, or whether the duke, | who sinee the affair of the sacred bones had been ever active In laying schemes against Antonio, cast his eyes upon the lady, and perceiving that slie was very fair and likely to serve, his turn, sent for her and persuaded her by gifts and by the promise of a great marrlage to take in hand the task. Bo that as it may, it is certain that in the fourth year of Count Antonio's outlawry the Lady Venusta came from Rilano, where she dwelt, and talked long with the duke in his cabinet, so that men and women with greater urgency asked what his higness did to take such a one into his counsels, for he had him- self forbidden her to live in the city, and constrained her to abide in her house at Rilano, by reason of reports touching her fair fame. Nor did she then stay in Forniola, but, having had audience of the duke, re- turned straightway to Rilano, and for the space of three weeks rested there, and the | duke told nothing to his lords of what had | passed between him and the lady, while the Count Antonio and his friends knew not so much as that the duke had held conference with the lady, for great penalties had been decreed against any man who sent word to Antonio of what passed in the city, and the pikemen kept strict guard on all who left or entered the city, in that it was rather like a town besieged than the chief place of a peaceful realm. Now at this time, considering that his hiding place was well known_to the Lord Lorenzo and certain of the Auke's guard, Count Antonio descended from the hills by night, and having crossed the plains, carry- ing all his equipment with him, mounted again into the heights of Mont Agnino and pitched his camp in and about a certyin cave, which is sheltered on two sides by high rocks and on the third by the steep bank of a river, and can be approached by one path only.” This cave was known to the duke, but ho could not force it without great loss, 50 that Antonfo was well nigh as safe as when his hiding place had been unknown; and vet he was nearer by half to the city, and but seven miles as a bird flies from the village of Rilano, where the Lady Venusta dwelt, although to one who traveled by the only path that a man could go upright on his feet, the distance was hard on eleven miles. But no other place was so near, and from Rilano Antonio drew the better part of lis _provisicns and stores of which he had need, procuring them secretly from the people, who' were very strictly enjoined by the duke to furnish him nothing under pain of forfeit- ure of all their goods. Yet one day, when the man they called Bena and a dozen more rode in the evening through Rilano, returning toward the cave, the maid servant of Venusta met them, and with her men bearing a great cask of fine wine, and the maid servant said to Bena: “My mistress bids you drink; for good men should not suffer thirst."” But Bena answered her, asking: “Do you know who we are?" “Aye, 1 know, and.my lady knows,” said the girl. “But my lady ays that if she must live In Rilano, t she will do what she pleases in Rilano. Bena and his men looked at one another, for they knew of his highness's proclam tions, but the day having been hot, they being weary, the wine seeming good, and a woman knowing her own business best, at last they drank heartily, and rendering much thanks, rode on and told Tommasino what had been done. And Tommasino having told Antonio, the count was angry with Bena, eaying that his gluttony would bring trouble on the Lady Venusta, ‘She should not tempt a man," said Bena, sullenly. All these things happened in the second day of the week, and on the fourth, toward evening, as Antonio and Tommasino sat in front of the cave, they saw coming toward them one of the band named Luigl, a big fel- low, who had done good service, and was 0 a merry, jovial man, and took the lead in good fellowship. And in his arms Luigi bore the Lady Venusta, Her gown was dis- hevelled and torn, and the velvet shoes on her feet were cut almost to shreds; and she lay Lack in Lulgl's arms pale and exhausted. Lulgl came and set her down gently before Antonlo, saying: ““My lord, three miles from here, in the steepest and roughest part of the way, I found this lady sunk on the ground and half swooning; when I ralsed her and asked her how sho came where she was and In such a plight she could answer nothing save ‘Count Antonio! Carry me to Count Antonio! So 1 have brought her, in obedlence. to her re- quest.” As Lulgl ended Venusta opened her eyes and rising to her knees, lield out her hands in supplication, saying: “Protect me, my lord, protect we. For the duke has sent me word that tomorrow night he will burn my house and all that it holds, and will take me and lodge me in prison, and so use me there that 1 may know what befalls those who give ald to traitors. And all this comes upon me, my lord, because I gave a drop of wine 10 your men when they were thirsty. “I feared this thing," sald Antonio, “and deeply I grieve at it. But I am loath to go in open war ngalnst the duke, and in the plain; he would also be too strong for me. ‘What, then, can I do? For here is no place in which a lady, the more if she be alone and unattended, can be lodged with secmli- ness.” If the cholce be between this and u prison —" said Venusta, with a faint, sor- rowtul smile, “Yet It might be that I could convey you beyond bis highness' power,” pursued An tonfo. “But I fear you could not travel far tonight. “Indeed, I am weary even unto death," moaned Venusta. “There is uothing for it but that tonight, at least, she rest here,” sald Antonio to Tommasino. Tommasino frowned, “When woman comes in,'"” sald he, beh the screen of his haud, “'safety files ou Better fly safety than courtesy and kind- ness, cousin,” sald Count Antonio, and Tom- rasino cezsad to dissuade him although he Wss uneasy concerning the coming of Ven- usta, That ulght, therefore, all made thelr camp outside, and gave the cave to Venusta for her use, having made a curtain of green boughs across its mouth. Bul again the mext day Venusta was too sick for travel; nay, ho seemed very sick, and she prayed Lulgi to go to Rilano and seck a physician, and Luigl, Antonlo having granted him perm slon, went and returned, saying that no physician dared come In the face of his high- mess's proclamations; but tho truth was that Lulgl was in the pay of Venusta and of the duke, and bad sought by his journey Dot physiclan, but means of informing the dulke how Venusta had sped and of secking from him as to what should mext be And that day and for four days more Veuusia abode in lhe cave, protesting that she could not travel; and Antoalo used her with great courtesy, and more when he heard that the duke, having stayed to mueter all B3 force, for fear of Autonio, had at lenglh ted the next day for the burnlug of “r Lo‘u;- at “"5,““' unfm;he :urr.vln‘ oft goods. These tidings he gave her, - and Liowgh he spoke sho foll at once ) 't Ahat purpose, and weeping for her jewels and prizel possessions which were in the house. Now, Count Antonio, though no true man could call him a fool, had yet a simplicity nobler it may be than' the suspicious wisdom of those who reading other hearts by their own, count all men rogues and all women wanton, nd when he saw the lady weeping for the trinkets and her loved toys and trifles, hoe sald “Nay, though T cannot meet the duke face to face, yot I will ride now and come there before him, and bring what you value most from the house.” You will bo taken,” said she, and she gazed at him with timid, admiring eyes. “I had rather a thousand times lose the jewels than that you should run into danger, my lord. For 1 owe to you my liberty, and per- haps my life.” “I will leave Tommasino to guard you and rido at once,” and Antonio rose to his feet, smillng at her for her foolish fears, Then a_ thing that seemed strange hap- pened. For Antonio gave a sudden cry of pain. And behold, he had set his foot on the point of a dagger that was on the ground near to the Lady Venusta, and the dagger ran deep into his foot, for it was resting on a stone, and the point sloped upward, so that he trod full and with all his weight on the point, and he sank back on the ground with the dagger in his foot. How | came the dagger there? None could tell then, though it seems plain to him that con- siders now. None then thought that the lady who fled to Antonio as though he were her lover, and lavished tears and cries upon him, had placed it there. Nor that honest Luigi, who made such a moan of his carelessness in dropping his poinard, had taken more pains over the losing of his weapon than most men do over the preserva- tion of theirs. Luigl cursed himself and the lady cursed fate. Aud Count Antonio con- soled both of them, saying that the wound would soon be well and that it was too light a matter for a lady to dim her bright eyes for the sake of it. g Yet light as the matter was, it was enough center not to abide the onset and to turn and flee at a gallop, trusting to the epeed of thelr horses for escape. And he made them fiing away all that they had brought from the Lady Venusta's house, that they might ride the lighter. “And 1 pray God,” said he, “that you will escape alive, but if you do not it is only what your oath to my lord constrains you to. But you and 1, Bena, with four men, will not ride back toward the plain, but on to- ward the hills, and it may be that we shall thus get ahead of the lieutenant, and once wo are ahead.of him In the hilly ground he began Bena, “there be another 1d Tommasino, and he whispered to Bena, “They will fear If they hear all.” Then (he duke's men came forth; and it fell out as Tommasino had planned; for the body of the duke's men when they saw Tom- masino's rank broken and his band flying, sot up a great shout of scorn and triumph, and_dug spurs into their horses and pur- sued the runaways. And the runaways rode at their top speed, and, having come nearly to Rilano without being caught, there were three of them overtaken and captured by tho well at the entrance of the village, but the rest, wheeling to the right, dashed across the plain making for Antonio’s old hiding places; and having lost two more of their number, whose horses failed, and having slain four of the guard, who pursued incauti- ously ahead of the rest, they reached the spurs of the hills; and thero scattered, every man for himself and found refuge, some in the woods, some in shepards’ huts; so they camo off with their lives, But the men with Tommasino and Bena had ridden straight for the hill road, and had passed the lieuten- ant before he apprehended Tommasino's scheme. Then he crled aloud to his men, and eight of them, hearing him, checked thelr horses, but could not understand what ho desired of them till he cried aloud again, and pointed with his hand toward where the ten, Tommasino leading and Bena in the rear, had gained the hill road and were riding up it as swiftly as their horses could mount. And the lieutenant, cursing his own folly, gathered them they and rode after Tom- masino and Bena. “Be of good heart,” said the lieutenant. “They are between us and the company of my Lord Lorenzo.” Yet, though he sald this, his mind was not at ease, for the horses of his men, being un- accustomed to the hills, could not mount the road as did the sure-footed mountain horses ridden by Tommasino's company, and the space widened between them; and at last Tommisino’s company disappeared from sight at the point where the track turned sharp to the left, round a great jutting rock that VENUSTA AND COUNT ANTONIO. for Venusta’s purpose and for the scheme of Duke Valentine. For Counu Antenio could neither mount his horse mor go afoot to Venusta’s house In Rilano, and it the jewels were to be saved and the lady’s tears dried (mightily, she declared, with pretty self- reproach, was she ashamed to think of the jewels beside Autonio's foot, but yet they were dear to her), then Tommasino must go in his place to Rilano. “And take all save Bena and two more,” sald Antonio. “For the duke will not come here if he goes to Rilano.” ," sald Bena, “am nelther nurse nor physician nor woman. Let Martolo stay—he says thers is already too much blood on his consclence—and let me go, for there is not as much as I could bear on mine, and mayb> wo shall have a chance of an encounter with tho foteguard of the duke.” But Venusta s2id to Antonio: “Let botn of these men go and let Luigi stay. For he is a clever fellow and will aid me in tending your wound.” “So be It,” said Antonio. “Let Luigi and the two youngest stay, and do the rest of you go and return as speedily as you may. And the Lady Venusta shall, of her great goodness, dress by wound, which pains me morwe than such a trifle should.” Thus the whole band, saving Luigi and two youths, rode off early in the morning with Tommasino, their intent being to be at Rilano and back from it again before the duke came thither from the city; and Venusta sent no message to the duke, seeing that all Had fallen out most prosperously, as it had Been arranged between them. For the duke was not in truth minded to go at all to Rilano; but at earliest dawn, before Tom- masino had set forth, the Lord Lorenzo left the city with a hundred pikemen. More he would not take, fearing to be delayed if his troop was too large, and made a great circult, avolding Rilano and the country adjacent to it. So that by mid- day Tommasino was come with thirty and four men (the whole strength of the band except the three with Antonio) to Rilano, and, meeting with no reststance, entered Venusta's house and took all that was precious in It and loaded their horses Wwith “the rich tapestries and the choicest of the /furnishings, and then, having re- galed themselves with good cheer, started In the afternoon to ride back to the cave, Tommasino and Bena grumbling to one an- other because they had chanced on no fight- ing, but not daring to tarry by reason of Antonlo's orders, But their lamentations were without need, for when they came to the pass of Mount Agnino there at the entrance of the road which led to the cave by the side of the river was encamped a force of eighty pike- men, under the lieutenant of the guard, Thus skillfuly had Lord Lorenzo performed his duty and cut off Tommasino and his company from all access to the cave, and now he himself was gone with twenty men up the mountain path to take Antonio, ac- cording to the scheme of the duke and the Lady Venusta. But Bena and Tommasino were sore aghast and said to one another “There I8 treachery. What arc we to d For the eighty of the duke's men were posted etrongly and it was a great hazard to attack them. Yet this risk they would have run, for they were ready rather to die than to sit thero idle while Antonio was taken, and all likelihood they would have died had the lleutenant obeyed the orders which Lorenzo had given him and rested where he was, covered by the bill and the river. But the licutenant” wad a4 young man of hot temper and impatient and to his mista pride it semed as though It were cowardice for eighty men to shrink from atacking thirty and five, and for the duke's men to play for advantage in a contest with a band of robbers. More- over, Tommasino's men taunted ‘his men, crying to them to come down and fight like men in tie open. Therefore, couuting on a sure victory, and the pardon it would gain, about 3 o'clock In the afternoon he cried “Let us have at these rascals! and to Tom- mesiuo’s great joy his troop remounted thelr horses and made ready to eharge from their position. Then Tommasiuo said: “We are all ready to face the enemy for wmy lord and cousin’s sake. But I have need p(.n se mow who will run away for his sl And he laid his plans that when the lieu- tenant’s troop charged his men should mot stand their ground. “And five men he placed n one extremity of bis line, Bena at their ead, and four others with himself be posted at the other extremity, and he spread out bis Hne very wide, 50 that It stretehod on stood across the way, and left room for but three men to ride abreast between river and rock. Then the lieutenant drew rein and took counsel with his men, for he feared that Tommasino wonld wait for him behind the jutting rock and dash out on his flank as he rode round. Therefore, for a while he considered, and a while longer he allowed for the breathing of the horses; and then, with great caution, rode on toward the jutting rock, which was then about the half of a mile trom him. And when he came near to it, he and his men heard a voice cry: “Quiet, quiet! They are close now!” “They will dash at us as we go roun said the lieutenant. “And we can go mo more than three to- gether,” said one of the guards. “Are you all ready?” said the voice be- hind the cliff, iy accents that but just reached round the rock. “Not a sound for your lives!” Yet a sound there was, as of jingling bits, and then again an angry “Curse you, you clumsy fool, be stil.” And then all was still. “They are ready for us now,” whispered the guard with an uncasy smile. “I will go,” aid the lieutenant, “which two of you will lead the way with me?" But the men grumbled, saying: “It is the way to death that you ask us to lead, sir.” Then the licutenant drew his men back, and as they retreated they made a great noise hoping to make Tommasino think they were gone. And having gome back some 500 pacos thus, they rested in utter quiet for ha'f an hour. And it was then the afternoon, And the llentenant said: “I will go first alone, and in all lkelihood I shall be slain; but do you follow immediately after me and avenge my death.” And this they, being ashamed for their first refusal, promised to do. Then the lieutenant rode softly forward till he came within twenty yards of the rock, and he clapped spurs to his horse and shouted, and followed close by his men, cry- ing, “for God and our duke,” charged round the jutting rock. And behold, on the other side was not a man! And of Tommasino and his company naught was to be seen, for they had used the last hour to put a great distance between them and their pursuers, save that away, far up the road, in the waning light of the sun, was to be dimly perceived the figure of a man on horzeback, who waved his hat to them, and turning, was in an instant lost to view. And this man was Bena, who, by nimself and without a blow, had held the passage of the jutting rock for hard upon an hour, and thus given time to Tommasino to ride on and come upon the rear of Lorenzo's company before fhe lieutenant and his men could hem them In on the other side. To be Continued, e A BUCCESSFUL BUBINESS, Increased Facilitios of & ¥irm of Nationa Reputation in Advertising and Pub- lishing Cireles. From the New York Tribune, Feb. 15, 1895, The well known advertising agency and publishing business of Herbert Booth King & Brother, which has long been one of the landmarks of lower Broadway, New York, will transfer their main office to Madison Square about March Ist, using their down- town office as a branch establishment. They will occupy the first floor of their new build- ing, 32 East 23d st.. N. Y., which is adjacent to thelr priuting establishment on 22d street. Thelr new offices face Madison Square and are opposite the entranee to the new Metro politan Life Insurance company's building They will connect /with their downtown branch by telephone and pneumatic tubes, se that no time will be lost in communicating with the varlous uewspaper establishments. 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