THE DOUBLE SECRET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9642, 6 November 1909, Page 2

THE DOUBLE SECRET.

CHAPTKK Xll.—Continued. | Madzo had a friend, however, in j the household, a lithe Italian. This Italian, Giacomo, 'Corno', for short. | was a sort of man of all work, and j he interspersed his labours with , hours spent in Madzo's lodge, telling ' tales of his heroism and adventures. To him Madzo unfolded the horrible plot—forgetting to state that it was' a product of his own imagination—to rob and murdaf the family of the Villa Pazzi; he explained that the shurers in this wickedness would be Ted, the vinedresser and the vinedresser's boy. These three conspirators lay in wait at the south wall by the old olive. Ted, Madzo admitted would be inside the wall, Baptiste outside, armed, no doubt, capapie. Madzo left it to be inferred that the vignajo, also, would be outside, but truth whs that Madzo expected him to be inside. The plan was for Madzo and 'Como to form two attacking columns each of one, each column to movemorally supporting the other, along the south wall, the column Madzo outside, the column 'Como n.side; simultaneously arrived at the olive tree, each column would fall upon its unsuspecting prey, capture, slay, or disable them, and then they would unite their forces, rouse the villa, explain the situation, and exhibit their captives, alive or dead. For such a compaign 'Como felt that weapons would be needed; Madzo was sure that the conspirators bristled )to the teeth like a gun port with their fusils, rapiers, stilettos, revovlers and cutlasses. 'Como remarked that he had a right good pistol, and an equally good carbine, between which Madzo could take his choice; these weapons were a little rusty and a little loose as to stock and lock, but would do very well when 'Uomo had "oiled them and properalv crammed them full.'* 'Como also advised Madzo that he had a fine long knife, chiefly used to cut melons, but which treated suitably with a grindstone might serve to carve Baptiste, and there was also a bayonet which 'Como would rub up and tie to a stick, and which could pinion Ted. the red-haired, to the garden wall. Thus these weighty plans were , laid, and one night a thing crescent moon revealed to Madzo and t Como certain shadows crawling through the vineyard rows. These shadows they magnified to many, but they happened to be first, Granitto, who, Italian fashion, carried a pisti I in his belt, and Baptiste, his squire; following them, hut unknuwn to them, stole the vailed figure of Mrs Bemis, who had resolved to find out for herself what these levers meant, and following Mrs Bemis went the vinedresser, who did not know that his lodger was abroad, buc who thought he had heard some one slipping through tlie* grounds to steal grapes. Meanwhile Lady Lina and her maid, Lucy, had waited a little later than usual for the household to get quiet, and Granitto had already climbed upon the wall, and Baptiste had taken his place, and 'Como was creeping along by the inside of the wall, and Madzo by the outside, when these two damsels left the house by the laundry; Lady Lina, tall, white, light-footed, her gown a snowy muslin, a white Shetland shawl about her head and neck, and as she came down the garden Wall in the dim moonlight the night wind lifted the 'loose ends of this fleecy covering and waved them behind her shoulders like a great pair of wings. Lucy had on a dress of "sprinkled pink" calico, which looked white in the moonshine, and she had put her white lawn apron around her head, to keep it from the dew, and this apron floated mysteri • ously about and behind her. Such a still night, only the faiht spotless moon rays, and these softly tailing steps-then, aa if by one consent, an unearthly chorus of voices and cries, under darkness of olives, rose trees and grape vines, "came from both sides of the wall: Madzo: "Courage! Courage! Die villain!" and he lunged at Baptiste with the melon knife. Baptiste: "Signor Arriar.o, I die!" The Vinediesser: "Thieves and heretics, you rob my grapes! Help!" Mrs Bemis: "Oh, murder! murder! murder!" Glacomo: "Holy virgin Blessed Peter! Ghosts! ghosts! I perish!" Lady Lina and Lucy: "Fly, Arriano! Quick, my lady, hide!" Seeing Bapisie apparently set upon by three enemies Granitto fired off his pistoi in the air, flung it from him, and leaped to the ground just as Madzo attempted to fire off 'Gomo's weapon, which incontently burst, and Madzo fell to the ground howling that he was dead. Granitto, in the confusion, did not divide the sound of Madzo"s weapon from his own, and cursed his luck for having slain a man. "Baptiste," he shouted, "pick up this fellow with me and let us fly, or w-5 shall bs sent to the galleys for him." This revealed to the vinedresser that one of the party was his son, and impressed him with the fact that the wounded man must be carried off. , Mrs Bemis, as she cried out;, had sprung forward, and the quick-1

BY DUNCAN McQREGOR Author of "Kennedy's Foe," 'Tshniael Keforae "A l>ii.mo of Three,"' "Edna's Peril." Etc., etc.

witted Italian saw a big shawl which he wanted, and a witness which he did not want. He laid hands on the shawl, and as he tore it off he recognised his iacemaking lodger. The vign-tjo spread the shawl on the ground, laid Madzo's bjdy up on it. Granittoj and Baptiste understood what whs to be done; one of them gathered up the shawl corners at the feet, the other with the vinedresser took the head corners. "To the hills!" cried the vinedresser, and. gripping his lodger by the shoulder, hissed in her ear: "Gather up your goods "and fly to Florence before morning. Hear! see, and say nothing if you wi-m to live in peace!" and having thus disburdened his mind of a favourite Italian proverb, he set off, with Airiano and Baptiste on n round trot tor the hills, carrying between them the body of Madzo swung in the shawi. Meanwhile on the insiie of the wall the valorous Gaicomo, having seen Lady Lina and Lucy as two gost'3, yelleJ in a frightful manner. In his terror his bayonet got between his legs and flung him on his face with such violence that his old carbine crashed against the wall and exploded. This was a startling interruption to the progress of the two white robed young maidens. "Lady Lina! fly back to the house," said Lucy, in terror. But Lin-a heard the melee outside, and she whs sure her lover was wounded, and all her thought was to rush to him. Lucy grasped her around the waist. "The family are rousing' ' We shall be seen, ruined. Let us get back to in time. Come, come bick, Lady Lina!" I "Let me be! I must go to Granitto!" screamed Lady Lina, and | here a stalwart figure t burst through the bushes, and poor Lucy sobbed out: "On, Ted, Ted, 'make my lady go in, or she .will be ruined; my lord will find ua out!" Now, it had happened that Ted, who slept over the laundry, had not gone to bed at all that night, but sat with his head on the windowsill, thinking thoughts of Lucy, when to his amazement the laundry door softly opened, and two white figures stole out. Ted grasped a part of the situation, looked for his t shoeF, and a stout cane, and was setting out as a guardian angel for these damsel fer rant, when all this confusion reached his ear. He needed no second exhortation o serve his young lady whether she would or not. "Run before, Lucy!" cried Ted, and, gathering Lady Lina up in his vigorous young arms, he tore back by a well-screened patn, up the rear outdoor stairs to i.ii own room, through that into the house hall with Lucy fkting on before, and dropped Lady Lina down on her own bej. "Lock the door, and take care of her, and nobody will ever know," said Ted to Lucy, and away he dashed to the garden to find Timball and Hadley. Norton, the footman, and Dugald Probyn, who was flying along in a brocade dressing gown, and gold embroidered slippers. Meanwhile the house was roused. Lady Astraea called tremulously from her room, and Lord Thomas, half dressed, ran to console her, passing as he went Pauline in a wrapper with a candle m her hand. "Im going to Lady Lina," said Pauline and then Lord Harcourt reassured about his daughter, went to his mother. Now, when Lucy locked the door on Ted, and turned to her lady, she found her in a dead faint, from which she could not rouse her, and when a firm knock came at the and Miss Percy's clear tones, "Open for me!" Lucy sprang to let her in. By some great good fortune Rivers had that day been „sent to Florence to stay oversight and do some shop ping, thus no one was about to discover Lady Lina's secret excur • sion. When the door opened Lucy was in tears. Lady Lina was lying on the Ded dressed, her slippers wet with dew, a shawl about her head. Evidently she had been abroad, and had just come in. Pauline read the story at once, and transfixed Lucy with a reproachful glance. Lucy's sob redoubled. "I could not help it, miss. She is such a sweet young and she bade me go with her, and I'm so sorry. Oh, is she dead? Oh, my dearest young lady 1" "Take off these things," said Pauline, imperiously, and Lucy stopped her sobs to remove Lady Lina's dres-j, and they put her in her nightrobe andjthen into bed. Five minutes removed traces of the midnight ramble. "Now, get me the salts and some toilet vinegar; bring some brandy, some cold water; rub her hands; run to the laundry, Lucy, for hot water for her teet." Lucy sped away and then came a' knock, and Lord Harcourt's voice. "Lina! Miss Percy! is my daughter there?" Pauline went to the door. I TO BK CONTINUED.!