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“my: THE PAINTER OF PARflA; -0R,__ ' THE MAGIC 0F AMASTERPIEGE. ’ CHAPTER. X. (Continued) The first person whom the duke met after leaving his ward was the page who had attended at the door of tho drawing-room during the evening. "Filippo, do you know if either Hen- ri Vavall'ia or Paulo Alavado is in the palace ?” “They are both gone, sire." . "'All the guests are not gone 2” "'All except the Count Denaro. He is with the marquis." "\Vhat in the world sent them off so curly? Bless my soul! Refreshments had not been served. What was the matter 3" The boy started to speak and stop- his master waiting he started again, but broke down as be- ped. Finding fore. eion to fear mo ?” _ "Oh. no. my lordl You have given only occasion to love you with all my heart." . “Then why do you fear to answe the question I ask 'f" “It was, my lord, because 1â€"" be cast a quick sweeping glance around the hall, and presently went on. With fear and trembling, "becauseâ€"I was afraid of another." " You mean Marquis Steffanof‘“ “Yes. my lord.” " Now, boy, tell me plainly what he held to do with it, and in return I promise you that you shall suffer not one atom from him, either in word 01‘ deed." . The page had been present and Witâ€" ness of the passage between the marâ€" quis and the two young nobles of whom the duke had spoken; he was. moreover. possessed of a. considerable degree of dramatic power; and he told the story so faithfully that, had his bearer been present at the meeting. he could not have seen it more vividly. He had not a question to add. He simply listened to the end. and, hav- ing assured him once more that he. had nothing to fear. dismissed him. After that he would have avoided his brother, and he sought to do so. He did not wish to see him until he had slept and had opportunity for thought, and if possible he would have held another interview with his ward before he answered any questions of Steffano’s asking. ; But he Was not to escape. Being in his own mind well assured that if. the guests had all departed. his brother would have betaken himself to the smoking-room. he ventured to look in- to the drawingâ€"room before retiring to his private apartments,. He entered. finding the lights mostly extinguished. but enough had been left burning to reveal to him the forms of Steffano and Guiseppe Denaro seated at an open window. Even then he would have passed on. but the marquis had seen him and came forth to Speak with him. “ Well. Antonio. was I not right ?" he asked. with intense eagerness. Did I make a mistake f" “Steffanol we will not speak of it to-night. I have more than care for my ward to trouble me. and I would have rest and quiet. I wish to think.“ " But you will give me a. simple word of answer to my question. Surely that ' can not tax you heavily." The duke was not a man who could hide his true feelings. Whatever he felt, especially if he felt it deeply. ap- peared on the surface. The marquis saw the cloud upon his brother’s brow and the pained look in his large, ex- pressive eyes. and he burst forth coarsely: “ 'Fore heaven! I trust I havedone nothing to ruffle the current of your life. If I have I am truly sorry." - “ Steffano." returned the duke, stern- ly, but without anger, “what is your own opinion, now that you are sober and rational, of your treatment ofSig- nor Zanoni last. evening ?" " Ohol who has been tattling. Iwon- der? Will your grace kindly inform me how the story came to your ears? Ohol I have it! The princess told you, and the painter told her. A most noâ€" ble and reliable source of information, truly! I can imagine that the fellow did'not spare me in his pathetic nar- rative! And did you believe it all '3" ‘ 'Yes, Steffano. I believed every word of it. You are mistaken, however. if you think the man you so grossly in- sulted is the only person who was wit- ness. with yourself, of the disgraceful scene." " Duke," demanded the marquis hotly, "do you say that Iâ€"Steffano Farneseâ€"insulted a low-born, plebeian painter f" . “I say the insult was the more gross and unpardonable in that it was given by a. Farnese and brother of the reign- ing duke l" l "Per Baccol I doubt if the nobles of Parma would be content to accept your dictum,“ the marquis rejoined, with a. grating, bitter laugh. The duke turned quickly to the count, who still sat in the recess of the win- dow. "Signor Count.“ he said, looking at the man squarely in the face, “what. ’is your opinion? I will have it to you as a man of sense, of judgment. and as one possessing a sense ‘of honor and self-respect. You were witness of the scene. \Vould you deem Steffano‘s treatment of Signor Zanoni an insult?" "Sire." returned the poor fellow, trembling perceptibly. “I wish you would excuse me." "Which means." retort‘ed the duke. without pausing to reflect, “ that you shrink from characterizing the man- ners of your friend in their true light." Now this was placing the unfortun- ate count. in a terrible plight. If he spoke the simple truth. as he felt it in his heart to be. he would deeply "Filippo. have I ever given you occa- p. . offend and anger a. man whom be both feared and hated, and yet Whose 300d offices he very much needed. Or. at all events, he thought he did- If h? refused to speak he would not only offend the one man of all the world whose favor he most desired. but he would lower himself in that man‘s es timation. He could only crave forbearâ€" ance, as he had done. And when the retort came. tholiirh he felt it to be harsh and unkind, he dared not say so. He only hung his head and was silent. “Enough!” said Antonio, after a brief, painful silence. “Let us say no more at present. I forgive you, Cuisâ€" eppe. for your loyalty to your friend. and I ask your pardon for having plunâ€" ed ynn in such a. dilemmmâ€"Nol not another word to-night I“ he added. to his brother, who had started to Spf‘flk. And with this he turned and left the room. For a. ltlme after the duke had gone the two men regarded one another in silence. The marquis was the first to speak. “ \Vcll, old fellow, what do you think of it ?" "Upon my word, Steffano, I know not what to‘think." "You know, I hope, what to think about the princess and the painter ?" "She loves him l" was the reply giv- en with a gasp of pain and anguish. " Of course she does; and poor Anton- io. heaven help him. sees cleirly en- ough what a mess he has made of it. If he had listened to you in the first place this thing wouldn‘t have happenâ€" ed. But. it is too late now to help it. though. thank fortune. we can put an effective stop to it." "Do you suppose she confessed to the duke that she loves the man i" the count asked eagerly. "Of course she did. Couldn't you so that for yourself? Good heavens, man. he was completely demoralized by his interview with her. Didn‘t you mark ‘the pain in his face? He looked as though he'd lost his best friend.“ Aye. but might it not have been his regret at the affair by the river yesterday?" “ “7911 upon my word I" And Stcffano laughed uproariously. “Haven‘t you eyes, my dear Count? Couldn't you see how my question concerning the prin- cess fretted and perplexed him? Bless your simple soul. would the story of the Spat with the painter have caused lllm to refuse us all information touch- ing a matter entirely different. No. I can tell you the whole secret. just as Surely as though I had it from him- self. Listen and you shall be enlight- ened;_ you shall acknowledge that I 8151' right. too. The duke was alone with Isabel a long time. I saw the Countess Rizzi 001111118 away from the chamber where she had been carried while in her swoon and she, the countess, told me that they had all. every one of them, been sent away. and she was sure had heard the key turned in the lock af- ter the door had been closed. Mark What Isayâ€"the door was locked, and Antonio and the princess were closeted together. ‘Now see.” Here Steffano laid down each proposition with the fingers of the right hand upon the open palm of the left. Speaking sharply and earâ€" neatly. as though he meant that each and every word should strike home :should find lodgment in his heart. No! the whole Scene is as clear to me as though I had been there through it all. The duke asked her, ml“? and squarely, if she loved the Painter. But. you will understand, she had already betrayed herself, over and over again. Guiseppel I know the dear girl Well enough to know that she’d cut her hand off sooner than tell a lie. She saw plainly enough that her sec- ret had already gone from her keeping; so she had nothing to lose by making .9, clean breast of it. “ Remember, further, she must have been at the timeâ€"when she first re- covered consciousnessâ€"«firm in the be- lief that her low-born lover was dead, and, so believing, she would speak free- ly and fearlessly. Yes, my dear Count, be sure she made aclean thing of it, telling her guardian everything. " And now, you ask me why the duke was so reticent; and you would fain know what he will do about it. He was reticent because he was so terribly, wrought upon that he knew not what' to say. With regard to what he will (loâ€"ho will try to save his ward with- ‘ out harm to her plebeian lover. Upon my word, his infatuation for that fell- low lS’lJeyOnd my comprehension. Count as I live, I. do verily believeâ€"I am ser- ious in this. Imean itâ€"I do verily believe that if he were hard pushed; if the princess should hold out, as we know she is cap- able of doing, and the painter shouldxgo down on his knees and implore, as he is ev1denlly capable if imploring, he would wilt like abrulsed flowerâ€"bud." “Hark yel" Here Steffaiio grasped the. bewildered count; by the wrist and Whispered into his ear: "I can trust you, lknow. By heavens! If you Ishould betray me! But tushl Of what am I thinking? Here, it is, plumply and plainly: My goo<l.lirolberâ€"â€" Duke of Farmsâ€"would at. this moment throw over the whole body of the lfiobility. neck and heels. and take into IS councilâ€"take to his heartâ€"the body of what he calls the people. By St. Paul! if the members of our Grand Council of Twenty could but gain suspicion of the real feelings and deep-rooted sentiments of their chief they would depose him off-band. Haven't you ever thought of this?” “I have sometimes thought." replied Denaro, cautiously. and after consider- able pause. "that the duke was notlpzir- tlcularly proud of his own rank and <lalion; and that it might not pain him o to igli both at once and forever." “Ullu. he Wuuld resign his dukelloul. l grunt you; lut for what Ah. you .lon'l. know him as I do. if you fancy lie could be content in humble Motion. No. no: he would be king, Willi lpdtri» .i'in anti plt‘lklttll alike his subjects and his lltllldlllell.’ That is “but Anloniu l'urn -.-e wauli bung to pass if h:- c..uld. Now, Uuiwppe. do you begin to underâ€" stand? Do you not see what you hive to do?" 'lhu, count, gazed at the bold speaker llllrnkly. “Do you not. see'?‘ the arch plotter repeated. “Is it not clear that if inattch are left to take their own courseâ€"if the duke is left to the couâ€" ll‘olling influence of those twoâ€"that the handsome painter will bear away the golden prize toafol‘cign land. and you lose her forever. her, be sure. if Antonio {lil0\V'.\ her to go. he williimkr- over to her evr-ry penny he holds of her property. Say. man, will you suffer that?" "Will you point cutaway by which I can prevent. it?" . "Yes; I can do that very quickly. \Vere the c'ls- mine I in’ght employ a. lll‘itVn in will 11 case the quiet Sblflkt'. of ll. sharp stiletto would put him out. of the way and nobody would be the wiser. liul’. that. ylu would not (l0. Oh you needn’t ll.l\’:5 shaken you: head; I know your quality in that direction. But I’ll tell you nlmt you condo. You lire one of the beat S\'~().’\’limen in ?1L1’- mu. You certainly have. [u :1, cause for cllling h'm out. H» knewâ€"he hlld known (0' thin: liin â€"â€"ot' your r'evoted love for the princess; and yet, plebeian as he is, he sets himself to the work of robbing you of your heart's desire. Just heaven! will you stand supinely by and see him bear the beautiful girl away?" "Never! Never! By the life of my immortal soul he shall not do it I" "Will you swear lt'l' "Yes. I swear it!" "Tlinn. my dear Guiscppe, go home and sleep upon it. Only, remember this one thing." Again the plotter caught the count by the wrist. and v.lii .p>red into his car: “Of course. the dukl will put n. stop to the princesfls ii its to th» p:lirltcr'.~i studio. At this both she and the painter will fume and fret savagely; and thus the grand P11 rucmvnt. “ill be hastened. Just Imaginw how it would bc with your: elf. Give them three days. and, by Sun Mar- co. lhcy will be off." "Steffanol" "Do you doubt it ?" \Vhat would you do were you in the paintor's place and he in yours?” "You are right," the count admitted, after a. brief pause. "Oh. let me think! I can not lose her! It would kill me!" "If you are brave and true you shall not. Go home and sleep upon it." "I will. 011.. Steffano, you stand by me i" "To the death. Guiwppel" "Thanks! Good-night. I you on the morrow." “And be sure you come with your heart strong and your resolution firmâ€" ly fixed." "I will be sure.” “Then success will be yours. Cour- age, old fellow! Have only Contage and the most beautiful. as well as the sweetest. girl in Italy shall be your own." Steffano accompained the count as far as the outer door of themain vesti- bule and there they parted. “Oh.” the marquis muttered, as he turned toward his own apartments, “I wish he could gain speech with lsabel while he is in this uncertain statel am sure she Would speak her mind without fear and without subterfuge. Mercy! Whata muddle it is! Bu. I think I see my way. All! \Vith the painter and the count out of the way the prize may be mine.“ Was it in answer to Steffano's earn- est desire or was it fate? Whatever the cause, the result was a. thing of fact. In the rear of one of the clings of the dual palace was a. garden enclos- ed on two sides by walls oflthe palace. onathird byahigh wall, erected for (hid Purpose while on the fourth it was shut in by an iron fence of intricate lattice \l Ol‘k. It was a beautiful spot; a. perfect bower of flowering vines and blooming shrubbery, its wealth of roses. of infinite variety, just bursting into fullâ€"blown loveliness and fragrance. Within view of that garden. in the early morning, walked Count Guiscppe Denaro. Sleep hecould not. and his chamber Would not hold him. lie must have heaven 5 free. flesh air in \xhih to breatheâ€"iii which to think. So he had arisen and dressed himself and wondered forth. A lover‘s instinct llal profitably given direction to his walk. will shall see it had strangely chanced that-Oil .lllit selfâ€"same morning. and during :hat lthDLl al llour. lh- Pinon-3.: I allel, finding it illipahible to sleep, haul arisen and sought her favorite out-0fâ€" door ielreatâ€"zh: garden Males-aid. Until the present season there had been. just inside the iron fence. at high. thick hedge of close shrubbery, through which no prying eye could penetrate, lut it had thlme olll, and was dying. for which cause itl'hud been taken up. and new, fresh young plants had been plzinted in plilce of the old; but they afforded no protection as yet. and Would not. before another year. However, our heroine had u0l thought of that; or. at all events, it had not ll-Jd her bulk. She had cmc forth and was pacing thoughtfuly to and fro. She had plucked a single rose, still Wet. with dew. picked it ill pieces. and as each white petal had flultered to the earth a. sigh or a. whispered mul‘iuui‘ had fallen from her lips. lt was plainly to be seen that. she bud been weeping. but there were no signs of tears now. llel‘ lips were closed. save when they pui‘i’ed for amurmurâ€" ed word. and filmly ooxiipi‘essed. Her eyes glowed with a steady, fervent light; her hands were tightly clasped before hei‘. and in form and feature, in every look and every movement, she was the incarnation of resolution and will. Count Dcnaro turned his eyes in the direction of the garden, and saw her, .__. 1 ul she did not see him. She sawnolh-l iilg wry:- the one dear o'zjec-l. of her \very thought and every feeling. She liltl not know that she had plucked it rose and pullell it in pieces. petal by petal. tillll ca«.t the sightless stock :l‘YLty. She (lid not know that the with wing petals were beneath her feet, ilwugll her eyes were turned straight upon 1h m. The whole. popular» might lilvu congregated anti pdssell the iron fl‘llCQ. w) that they had made no dis-l lllllélfl c. and >ht‘. would not have ,ecn than. l)t‘nt[0 raw. and his heart bounded “I'lltllhl‘oll th'it Well-night lack aw'ly hi: lrvn'ltl'l. Her image hall filled his thouth m that. mom: nl. Of her. and if Zulinni, he had been thinking (‘Vi‘i‘ \lnt‘e he had lifted his head from its pillow, One questionâ€"one themeâ€" formcri the center around which all his favored thought and iniuginiiigs held lll‘ll‘ course. The question was this: If the painter were out of the way. removed by hisâ€"Denaro's â€"â€" band, would she in time listen to his'pleadâ€" ings? Would the duke give him his best influence? \Vh'tt :-tlun.ge anomalyâ€"wilha glarâ€" ing inconsistency the hmrt ofa man passionately, blindly in love may preâ€" sent! "If I should kill the painter In a. fair and honomble combat, could I hope to win the band of the princess? Could I ever hope to win her heart?" So be asked himself, and when his common sense answered “Not” lie straiglltway flew into n, paroxysm of wrath against the min he would Sl‘ly. The fact was. his exceeding jealously of Juan Znnoni had made him mad. Never a! bi:. best {imau of strongmind; never an indepl-nlent. self-governed man; never a brave, bold and fear- less champion of right, he was now, under the influence of blinding pass- ion. in danger of becoming idiotic. “Oh. if lcould see her and speak with her!" \Vhat he would say he never told himself, for, as the last word of the sentence found speech. his startled eyes bud rested upon the Witching form of the loved one in the garden. II" had been admitted to that bloom- ing bit of paradise more than once.:‘a’nd the way was familiar to him. \V'ithout pausing to reflectâ€"with only the one thought of meeting and speaking with the princess in his mindâ€"he turned qui» kly toward a. small postern, which he knew he would find (lpvn. determin- mined to reach her if the thing were possible. (To Be Continued.) CORRECT ENGLISH TEAPOT. In England. where they make more ado about tea than‘ in any other coun- try. the teapot with e steamer is just. now preferred to the silver tea. ball. The principle of the two is exactly the some. All the best Chinese tea- pots have their strainers, which is ofl porcelain. and fits into the mouth of‘ the teapot likezismallcup. The porceâ€". lain is better than any metal. since, even silver corrodes slightly under the'; action of the powerful tannic acid of the tea. The leaves are put into the strainer and the boiling water poured. over them. Many oriental teapots have strainer. and careless housewives dis- card it. preferring, to make tea in the bottom of the pot in the everyday fash- ion. \Vhen tea stands in the pot for any length of time it draws out the tannic acid, giving the acid flavor so disagreeable to connoisseurs. There are many people. however, who have ac- quired a taste for tannic acid, just as? the Eskimo likes train oil and tallow; candles. and so prefer their tea. boil-‘ ed. A great advantage of the teapot with the strainer is the care with which it may be emptied. leaving no temptation to a careless servant to have the tea-l pot standing with the grounds in it from one meal to another. ___.__.â€"â€"â€"â€"-._ this ‘ l l SPANISH CUSTOMS. In some parts of Spain the marriage ceremony has one feature peculiar to itsclf. that of the velacione. During the mass said after the mar- riage ceremony the couple. with their; godfather and godmother. kneel at theI foot of the altar; a silken cord is thrown around the neck of the bride, and the bridegroom holds the ends of‘ it; then along strip of silk cloth is: thrown over the heads of the newly; married pair. and four lighted wax canâ€"j tiles are handed. one to the bride, one; to the groom. one to the godfather and‘ one to the godmother, who stand to' the couple in much the same relation! that best man and maid of honor do with us under the some circumstances. Then the priest sprinkles all four with holy water, blesses them. and the ceremony is over. A Spanish woman does not consider herself thoroughly married Without a velacione. A TALENTED PRINCESS. The Princess of Monaco is well known ' by her photograph. and personally ac- quainted with the majority of distinâ€" guished English visitors who annually go to the. Rievim. Married when still in her teens to the Due de Richelieu. she was early celebrated for her beau- ty and wit. After the Duke's death her character showed an unexpected de- velopment. Esuhewing all guyeties, she devoted herself to the careful bringing up of her children. Some years later the Duchess bestowed her hand upon the Prince du Monaco. The Princess is a singularly accomplished woman,spcak- ing German and Italian nearly as well as her native French. Her English is tinged with a Scotch accent, which has a curiously piquont effect. The Prin- cess is a musical enthusiast, and alâ€" ways has about her at Monte Carlo, a coterio of artists. The Princess is a great friend of Mme. Adelina Patti. .brave boys from the shore ler arrest on a charge ST SUITED FOR WARFARE __ Recent Experiments Show That Scar-II (Elves the “'orsl Mark for the limo. Scarlet. it has always been supposed, was the worst color po sible for th.‘ pur- poses of the battlefield. It has been said so wilh such frequency, indeed, that nobody of late years has carelllto dispute the fart. We owe it to some very prac'ival expeimcnts carried out in Germany that the question has now bceu puil. on a more satisfactory basis. A squad of ten men, two dressed in light gray. two in dark gray, two in scarlet. two in blue and two in .green were lately ordered to march across an open Loun.ry. 'l‘hl-ir movements were cloaelly M‘a‘ohed. The first mom to disappear l'l‘rm sight were those in light gray. immediately afterward the scarlet. out the green. Here we have all well-worn theories upset. Experi- ments carried out on the rifle range showed that our national color pos- sesses even distinct merits. The idea. was this time to ascertain which color gave the worst mark for the rifle. Twenty men. all good shots, were used for the purposes of the ex- periment. After they had fired a given number of rounds it was discovered that scarlet was far the most difficult color to hit. For every miss at the other colors there were three in fa.- vor of Scarlet. \V’e will not assert that these experiments were conclusive evidence in favor of our national, but they certainly go a. long way to justify, its retention. There is much to be said in these days of quickâ€"firing guns In favor of a uniform which is irliffi- cult to hit, and in this particular scab let undoubtedly will hold its own against all other colors. SOLORS BE A SHIPWRECKED BABY. An Incident of the Wreck of [he Steamer lllnltlnnd In Australian Water». Every shipwreck has its story of heroism and gallantry, and the recent wreck of the Maitland was no excep- tion, says the Sydney Daily Telegraph. There’s a. world of tenderness. too, in the boatswain’s narrative of how a. helpless baby was succoured and save ed. Her mother, Mrs. Howard, had been sent ashore on Friday, and the surf that rolled between her and her baby seemed likely to part them for ever. The little one cried bitterly. "Biscuits," said the boatswain, "were the only food left. \Ve soaked them .Ln 3. little port wine. \Vhen the tiny mite held out her chubby hands for more we knew that we had found just Wth was wanted. For hours after- wards Iwalked up and down the deck singing the child to sleep. Then the captain relieved me, and did the some. Thus the night passed. In the morn- ing we softened abiscuit and spread it with sausage meat. It was good to see the child eat. A few hours later breasted the wavesâ€"and you know the rest," Not a family in the district but wantâ€" . ed to see the little shipwrecked stran- ger; not awoman but wanted to nurse it. And when mother and (‘hlld left for Sydney the whole population for miles around was at the station to see them off. PROTECTING CANADIAN 80098. The issue of The Adelaide (South Australia) Advertiser for June l4lh. just received. gives the particulars of a. trial which proves that even in th'it far away country the Dr. “'illizlnigi Medicine Co. is as active in defending its rights and protecting the public against the schemes of subsiitulers and counterfeiters as it is here at home in Canada. in the trial in ques- ‘ tion Frank Ashley and \Villizim Smith were shown to have been engaged in offering asubstitute for Dr. \Villiums’ Pink Pills. claiming that the substitute was the some as that; justly celebrated medicine. Both men were placed und- of obtaining money under false pretence and con- spiring to defraud the public. and evidence was heard before the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court. The dieâ€" fendants’ lawyer made astrong fight in their behalf, but in spite of this the jury, after lishort absence from the court returned. a verdict of guilty red sentence until the close of the in both cases. The Chief Justice defer~ sittings. In addressing the jury, how- ever, the learned. judge spoke very strongly concerning the evils of sub- stitution and tht- dungers to the vic- tim that. may ensue from this use furious and too common practice. - Toronto Globe. -_____‘_____â€" POINTED PARAGRAPHS. Only a. truthful man knows how much he lies. The action of a. 13â€"inch gun speaks louder than words. The gas meter has more feet their any other animated thing. Many a poor man finds it harder to get drunk than to stay sober. Consistency may be a jewel.but it is apt to have an alum flavor. Kissing may be unhealthy, but every girl considers herself an immune. When a. man swamps in speculation a lot of wreckage comes to tbe’surface. An old bachelor declares that even the sweet girl graduate will ferment in time. It's far easier to purchase old joch in the comic paper than it is to ;sell them. The only way some married people manage to avoid quzirreling is by re- fusing to make up. \Yoman was made from the rib of min, but as to the origin of ladies" history is painfully silent. It is ru’mored that Spain will issue (i new map of her po-Scssiuns :lf er the and she is about. to visit her. at Craig- y-Nos Castle. liarâ€"that: is, if she has any ptls.~cssl..ns left.