Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 170: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

512 Beatrice. He found her walking up and down a room with an impatient step like some caged beast of prey. Her face was a singularly transparent white, like that of one who has watched long over a sick-bed. “You are wrong,” he said; “ there’s no witchcraft in this affair. Beatrice, it’s by the girl’s beauty.”’ ““A common singer of the streets!” said Beatrice. “It seems he had known her in England, and she followed him here,” went on Stro- chini. The color faded marvelously from her throat and cheeks. : “What does he say of her? me it all. How did he look?” ** Feverish, thin of face, wild of eye. “© You are ill, Peter,’ I said. — ““* What of the girl Sonia?’ he answered. “ «What madness made you change the statue?’ I asked him. “*'The face of Sonia,’ he answered.” Beatrice made a little gesture to check him. ‘“‘Stop!”’ she cried as soon as she could speak. Strochini felt as if he had some beautiful tigress under the whip. The cruel pleasure thrilled him. j “But you asked me of him?” he com- plained. “Yes; tell me more.” Strochini raised the whip again and struck. ; ““<T care nothing for myself,’ he would say. ‘ But the girl, Strochini—’ ”’ ““ Ah!” moaned Beatrice. Strochini’s heart melted. y | would give a king’s ransom to see him freed from this folly,” he said. “T have sent a message to him through a man of influence. He has heard. I think he already believes. If we can manage it *so, then Pietro will be saved—restored to favor!” “But this charge of witchcraft, Beatrice! The penalty is death, and the heart of the Holy Father is merciful. Moreover, if Pe- ter hears that the girl is condemned through Ws—”’ She uttered a little cry that made Stro- chini wince. Guido, tell Tf he’s enchanted, ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. After a moment, in which she stood with her hands clutched tightly to her breast: ‘“For a time the—the spell may hold him. But in the end—in the end he will forget! Tell me he will forget, Guido!” “Aye. Forget? Yes, yes! But the pen- alty iS burning at the stake for the girl, Beatrice! If I am called for testimony, I shall tell the Holy Father my -conviction— that there is no black art in Pietro’s case.” Her ‘eyes glittered a moment, and her lips pressed together. “Would you believe in witchcraft if you heard the confession from her own lips?” she asked suddenly. ‘“ What a fiend she is!”’ whispered Guido to himself. Then aloud: ‘“ You cannot hope that she will be mad enough to sign her own death-warrant.” “TY shall go myself,” said Beatrice. shall go to see the girl myself.” “Why, in the name of Heaven?’’ asked Guido. ““T wish to see her. Did you say she had followed Peter all the way from En- cland?”’ : “ Yes! » “Then she loves him!” “Perhaps,” said Guido. “If she loves him, she shall confess!” cried Beatrice. ‘Tf you do that, you'll be the greater enchantress.” ““ Nevertheless, I shall do it!” “And how?” ‘““T cannot tell you. derstand!” “IT would not,” said Guido. “TI think I shall have to get me a book and write it full of facts about women, as Peter has done!” As soon as he left, Beatrice went to her rooms and called two maids. At her di- rection they brought forth the most costly and beautiful of her gowns. She drove her maids to a greater speed with stinging words, and.yet when they could do no more she lingered still over that toilet as if she went to interview a king instead of a name- less girl in a prison. One servant had already ridden post- haste to the Vatican to acquire the neces- sary permit before she could be admitted us & You would not un- comniclooolkks.conn