Part 53 (1/2)
When Roy took Edith back to Mrs. Morrell's he expressed his admiration and sympathy in the highest terms for the generous-hearted invalid.
”When we make a home for ourselves, darling, let us invite him to share it, and we will try to make his last days his happiest days.
What do you say to the plan, sweet?” he queried, as he bent to look into the beautiful face beside him.
Edith flushed painfully at his question and hesitated to reply.
”What is it, love?” he urged, forgetting for the moment the resolve he had made earlier in the day.
”Of course, Roy, I would be glad to do anything in the world for one who was so devoted to mamma, and who, for her sake, has been so considerate for my future; but--”
”Well, what is this dreadful 'but'?” was the smiling query.
”I am afraid that you are too sanguine regarding our prospects,”
returned the fair girl, gravely. ”I am somehow impressed that we shall meet with difficulties that you do not antic.i.p.ate in the way of your happiness.”
”Do not be faint-hearted, dear,” said her lover, tenderly, although a shade of anxiety swept over his face as he spoke. ”I am going immediately to look up that woman with whom Giulia Fiorini told you she boarded, and ascertain what evidence she can give me to sustain my theory regarding Correlli's relations with the girl.”
He left Edith at Mrs. Morrell's door, and then hastened away upon his errand.
He easily found the street and number which Edith had given him, and, to his joy, the name of the woman he sought was on the door.
A portly matron, richly dressed, but with a very shrewd face, answered his ring, and greeted him with suave politeness.
”Yes, she remembered Giulia Fiorini,” she remarked, in answer to his inquiry. ”She was a pretty Italian girl who had run away from her own country, wasn't she? Would the gentleman kindly walk in? and she would willingly respond to any further questions he might wish to ask.”
Roy followed her into a handsomely-furnished parlor, that was separated from another by elegant portieres, which, however, were closely drawn, thus concealing the room beyond.
”Yes,” madam continued, ”the girl had a child--a boy--a fine little fellow, whom she called Ino, and she did remember that a gentleman visited them occasionally--the girl's brother, cousin, or some other relation, she believed”--with a look of perplexity that would lead one to infer that such visits had been so rare she found it difficult to place the gentleman at all.
”No, she did not even know his name, and she had never heard him admit that the girl was his wife--certainly not!--nor the child call him father or papa. There had always been something mysterious about Giulia, but she had appeared to have plenty of money, and had paid her well, and thus she had not concerned herself about her private affairs.”
Roy's heart grew cold and heavy within him as he listened to these suave and evasive replies to his every question.
It was evident to him that she had already received instructions what to say in the event of such a visit, and was paid liberally to carry them out.
He spent nearly an hour with her trying to make her contradict or commit herself in some way, but she never once made a mistake; her answers were very pat and to the point, and he knew no more when he arose to leave than he had known when he entered the house.
He was very heavy-hearted--indeed, a feeling of despair began to settle down upon him; for, unless he could prove that Emil Correlli had taken Giulia Fiorini to that house, and lived with her there as her husband, he felt that he had very little to hope for regarding his future with Edith.
Madam ushered him out as courteously as she had invited him in, regretting exceedingly that she could not give him all the information he desired, and hoped that the matter was not so important as to cause him any especial annoyance.
She even inquired if he knew where Giulia was at that time, remarking that she ”had been invariably sweet-tempered and lady-like, and she should always feel an interest in her, in spite of a certain air of mystery that seemed to envelop her.”
But the moment the door closed after her visitor madam's keen, black eyes began to glitter and a shrewd smile played about her cunning mouth.
A little gurgling laugh of triumph broke from her red lips as she returned to the parlor, when the portieres between it and the room were swept aside, and Emil Correlli himself walked into her presence.
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.