Part 17 (2/2)
All dogs treat me in the same way.”
And I laid my hand on the animal's neck with a commanding pressure; he lay down at once, only now and then raising his large wistful brown eyes to my face as though he wondered what had changed it so greatly.
But no disguise could deceive his intelligence--the faithful creature knew his master. Meantime I thought Nina looked pale; certainly the little jeweled white hand nearest to me shook slightly.
”Are you afraid of this n.o.ble animal, madame?” I asked, watching her closely. She laughed, a little forcedly.
”Oh, no! But Wyvis is usually so shy with strangers, and I never saw him greet any one so rapturously except my late husband. It is really very odd!”
Ferrari, by his looks, agreed with her, and appeared to be uneasily considering the circ.u.mstance.
”Strange to say,” he remarked, ”Wyvis has for once forgotten me. He never fails to give me a pa.s.sing snarl.”
Hearing his voice, the dog did indeed commence growling discontentedly; but a touch from me silenced him. The animal's declared enmity toward Ferrari surprised me--it was quite a new thing, as before my burial his behavior to him had been perfectly friendly.
”I have had a great deal to do with dogs in my time,” I said, speaking in a deliberately composed voice. ”I have found their instinct marvelous; they generally seem to recognize at once the persons who are fond of their society. This Wyvis of yours, contessa, has no doubt discovered that I have had many friends among his brethren, so that there is nothing strange in his making so much of me.”
The air of studied indifference with which I spoke, and the fact of my taking the exuberant delight of Wyvis as a matter of course, gradually rea.s.sured the plainly disturbed feelings of my two betrayers, for after a little pause the incident was pa.s.sed over, and our conversation went on with pleasant and satisfactory smoothness. Before my departure that evening, however, I offered to chain up the dog--”as, if I do this,” I added, ”I guarantee he will not disturb your night's rest by his howling.”
This suggestion met with approval, and Ferrari walked with me to show me where the kennel stood. I chained Wyvis, and stroked him tenderly; he appeared to understand, and he accepted his fate with perfect resignation, lying down upon his bed of straw without a sign of opposition, save for one imploring look out of his intelligent eyes as I turned away and left him.
On making my adieus to Nina, I firmly refused Ferrari's offered companions.h.i.+p in the walk back to my hotel.
”I am fond of a solitary moonlight stroll,” I said. ”Permit me to have my own way in the matter.”
After some friendly argument they yielded to my wishes. I bade them both a civil ”good-night,” bending low over my wife's hand and kissing it, coldly enough, G.o.d knows, and yet the action was sufficient to make her flush and sparkle with pleasure. Then I left them, Ferrari himself escorting me to the villa gates, and watching me pa.s.s out on the open road. As long as he stood there, I walked with a slow and meditative pace toward the city, but the instant I heard the gate clang heavily as it closed, I hurried back with a cautious and noiseless step. Avoiding the great entrance, I slipped round to the western side of the grounds, where there was a close thicket of laurel that extended almost up to the veranda I had just left. Entering this and bending the boughs softly aside as I pushed my way through, I gradually reached a position from whence I could see the veranda plainly, and also hear anything that pa.s.sed. Guido was sitting on the low chair I had just vacated, leaning his head back against my wife's breast; he had reached up one arm so that it encircled her neck, and drew her head down toward his.
In this half embrace they rested absolutely silent for some moments.
Suddenly Ferrari spoke:
”You are very cruel, Nina! You actually made me think you admired that rich old conte.”
She laughed. ”So I do! He would be really handsome if he did not wear those ugly spectacles. And his jewels are lovely. I wish he would give me some more!”
”And supposing he were to do so, would you care for him, Nina?” he demanded, jealously. ”Surely not. Besides, you have no idea how conceited he is. He says he will never make love to a woman unless she first makes love to him; what do you think of that?”
She laughed again, more merrily than before.
”Think! Why, that he is very original--charmingly so! Are you coming in, Guido?”
He rose, and standing erect, almost lifted her from her chair and folded her in his arms.
”Yes, I AM coming in,” he answered; ”and I will have a hundred kisses for every look and smile you bestowed on the conte! You little coquette! You would flirt with your grandfather!”
She rested against him with apparent tenderness, one hand playing with the flower in his b.u.t.tonhole, and then she said, with a slight accent of fear in her voice--
”Tell me, Guido, do you not think he is a little like--like FABIO? Is there not a something in his manner that seems familiar?”
”I confess I have fancied so once or twice,” he returned, musingly; ”there is rather a disagreeable resemblance. But what of that? many men are almost counterparts of each other. But I tell you what I think. I am almost positive he is some long-lost relation of the family--Fabio's uncle for all we know, who does not wish to declare his actual relations.h.i.+p. He is a good old fellow enough, I believe, and is certainly rich as Croesus; he will be a valuable friend to us both.
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