"INTRIGUE."

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1964, 7 February 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

"INTRIGUE."

By Brigadier General Henry Ronald Mclver.

CHAPTER IX.— (Continued.)

" What does it mean I " he muttered hoarsely, " why disgrace, ruin." The woman shrank away from his side, and Romano stood with clenched hands and Bet teeth, like some beautiful wild animal unexpectedly brought to bay. Then suddenly he turned to Madame Pincini, and grasping her arm said in a hurried agitated whisper : "Zepherine, I shall be compelled to fly, perhaps for my life., this very night ; but you will not let me go alone, you will be true to me," he said almost fiercely. " You hurt my arm," she answered pet tishly, trying to remove the fingers wtnoti pressed into her fleshy limb. Then enquiring •' "But you are foolish, Silvio, you must be raving. No one can take away your money, your riches, your estates, can they," and her hard steely eyes sparkled greedily at the thought at what she was perhaps about to lose. •'Ay, that, and much more," answered Romano gloomily. " Listen, Zepherine," and in a few rapid words he made known to her the position in which hiß wife's dying confession had placed him. " But I can raise plenty of money for our flight to-night, even," he said in conclusion, " and you have your jewels, your " Here Zepherine interrupted him with a shrill angry liU^h. "Is it poiaible you oan be ho simple. Can you imagine I, Zepherine Pinoini, would shaie your ruin and tly with you, who are according to your own confent>ion the most vile and deceitful of men, to God knows where 1 No ; be thankful, Monsieur, Ido not inatantly hand you over to the police, who are on the look out for you perhaps even now," and folding her arms, loaued with jewels this man had given her, she looked at him with righteous indignation. Romano hud loved this ooarse mass of hum mty aa far as his nature was capable of loving, and at this moment when there seemed a chance of lotting h9r forever, his passion for her seemed utterly to overpower him. He looked at her, listening to her cold selfish words, his face deadly white, his black eyes gleaming like stars, and when at last he spoke, his voice was strangely, dangerously oalm. '■ So, Zepherine, after all we have been to eaoh other, you intend to throw me over at the first blast of trouble, and like the rats, desert the sinking ship. Well, at auyrate, you will not refuse to clasp your arms once more around me, and let me feel your heart beatiri).' ugainst mine," he said. " Puufl how unreasonable the man is t "—" — her tones were not altogether unamiable — " it is you who desert me, that, goes without Baying. Imagine the frightful inconvenience to which your loss will subject me, and I may

not imuiddrutiy utiU auotiit/ pruuLioi •>•> wealthy," and looking legretfully round her pretty boudoir, crowded with dc a erip tion of costly brtc a-brac, bhefa lwl to obnerve the ominously wild look which flew to th~)"aous face of her lover as she uttered these careles3 words, or she might perhaps have guessed what dangerous ground she was treading on. " But mon ami," she went on (jood-hurnoredly, having found consolation iv the inspection of her valuable belongings, " Zt?pherine'H heart is too large to bear malice, so embrasson*" and she held out her arms with an inviting smile. Romano clasped her instantly to him in a fierce embrace, and pressed such passionate kisses upon her thick, red lips, that even Zepherine, well-seasoned as she was, panted ami gasped for breath. They were standing near an Indian cabinet, loaded with an incongruous mass of curiosities, ancient and modern, and amongst them a narrow, sharp weapon, in a curiously-carved silver sheath. Eomano had often, in idle moments, trifled carelessly with this little toy, and now when every evil passion was rife within him, there it lay, invitingly, close to his hand. Hia fingers closed round the delicate hilt, as Zepherine, released from his arms, sank back exhausted on the sofa ; then it flashed from the leaf-like sheath, and ere she had time to utter a cry, its sharp point had pierced her cold, worldly heart, and Silvio Romano fled through the open window into the darkness of the night.