CONCLUSION.

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

CONCLUSION.

" And I sftid in underbreath — All our life is mixed with death, And who knoweth which is best." The following morning the body of their murdered mistress was discovered by the frightened servants, who naturally gave the alarm. Like wild- tire spread the news, that the famous, or rather infamous, Pinoini bad been found lying dead in her own boudoir, stabbed to the heart, and her guests of the preceding evening remembering her unamiable temper, openly announced their opinion that she had goaded Romano to madness by her sharp tongue, and he had killed her in a fit of rage. A few days later the Italian was arrested (by one of the detectives whose powers he had spoken of so slightingly to Gidia) on board the American steamer Caaandra, in which, disguised as a white-haired old planter, he had taken a berth for New York. These stirring events naturally created great excitement and interest in the circles to which Romano had gained an entiec, and had once been so great a favorite, especially as his wife's decease became known, though! no announcement of her death appeared in any of the papers. Th°n gradually the story of Gidia'a dying confession, which included a full account of the parr, Rjmano had pla>ed in the robbery of the Dituey Diamonds, aud wild improbable stones floated abutb >ut society, enuring greit annoyance to Sir Rilph'a relations Gidia s confession had b^en made in the presence of the Vicar of Disney and two county magistrates, who, when they were at last cjnvincedof her sanity, coinoaun>c-ited by telegraph with Sir Dormei Disney Rilpti's successor to the title. Sir D »rmpr, » true specimen ot a chivalrous English gentleman, found no room in his heart for ougot but pity t»R he btood by the dying woman, whose life, in spite of her bright beamy and rare gift*, had proved such a miserable failure, and he steadfastly refueel to take any steps towards recovering his rights till Gidia was beyond the reach of earthly censure. None knew what had pro. noted h?r to make known her guilty secret - perhaps a desire for veage*uce on her fals.3- hearted husband — perhaps, aud let us hope it was so ; the little sinner was at the last, moved by feelings of sincere repentance to make open confession before she died. It was not till the mortal remains of her who had once been beautiful seductive Gilia Dering were removed by Sir D ytcwr s instructions to Culverden, and laid by the aide of the woman she had so ciuelly wrooged, in the quiet churoh-yard, that trie truth began to leak out. Lady Claudia Guest was one of the first to become acquainted with the o innged aspect of affairs, and her hitnerto ignored cousin Dormer suddenly acquired a vase amount of importance and interest in h*r eyes. Her <jhief idea, on hearing tne true history of how they an i the world generally had been duped, was concern for the scandal that must fall for the firnt time on their house, though this feeling was greatly tempered with relief when she found they could now disclaim all connection with the haielul Italian who had once dared to insult her. Perhaps, had Gidia lived, Claudia might have triumphed in her downfall ; but she found it impossible to rejoice over the humiliation of a dead woman. So in speaking to her cousin she adopted a sad, reserved tone, saying with gentle dignity, " She was once my friend, you know," and good Sir Dormer admired excessively what appeared to him a combination of perfect breeding and kindness of heart. As Silvio Romano lay awaiting his trial for the murder of his mistress, all the world knew if they failed to convict him of that crime, he would then be tried for another grave offence. Evidence was, however, too strong against mm, and Romano was found guilty and condemned to suffer the extreme penalty of the Uw. On receiving his sentence there had been a painful scene in court, for the cowardly Italian wept aloud like a woman, crying frantically for the mexoy he had never accorded to others, and he was at last carried fainting to his cell. Over the last scene in Romano's evil life we will draw a veil ; suffice it to say, one cold, foggy morning the Italian's shivering form, already half-dead with fear, was led to the scaffold, and the black flag soon announced to a small crowd outside the gaol thai Marwood had sent the guilty soul into the presence of its Maker. Little else remains to be told. The Disney scandal was beginning to die a natural death, when Lady Claudia Guest bestowed her hand on her cousin Sir Dormer, and everyone admitted that the marriage was a most convenable one. True, the bride was some yearn older than the bndegrooin, but she thoroughly understood the noble art ot self preiervati >n, so the disparity in their aged was scarcely commented upon, unless by a few youthful matrons, in all the miolenoa of tneir twenty summers. We niay as well add. Sir D >ruier (a good, ea^y-goiog, tboug 1 rather wualc minded, young fellow), never had miv oause to regret the alep ho had takeu, <tri<J C *udu, who. after all, realised her dr«*m of oeoutnmg Lady Disney, taough nor m 4he wt%y ahe ft ad oiioo hoped, conscientiously did Her beat to make him a good wife. Mrs. Cunningham, to whom Mise Dering had left a handsome annuity, lived tv a gr-at aue, or, it would be more correct tv «*y, dragged out a weary existence, for the terribtd events, following bo quickly tne death of uer beloved Lilias, had greatly impaired her feeble intellect,, and when at length bur lonely life drew to a close, she begged witn herdyin^ breath to bu buried near the np.it where lay the bodies of the two fair women, saint and sinner, whom Bhe had lovtd so dearly, yet bo blindly. THE bND.

"To the pure,'' rffiid the miLmun as he Bold ti quart of milk to an lunouenl little " all tbmgB tire pure."