McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 6, May, 1896Various
General
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 6, May, 1896
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Literature -- Periodicals
"And--" she began; but now she glanced, seemingly for the first time, at
my friends below. "You must come and tell me," she said; and with that
she turned and disappeared from our gaze behind the battlements. I
listened intently. No sound came from the wood that rose gray in the new
light behind us.
"What have you been doing?" demanded Denny, surlily; he had not enjoyed
Euphrosyne's scornful attitude.
"I have been running for my life," said I, "from the biggest scoundrels
unhanged. Denny, make a guess who lives in that cottage."
"Constantine?"
"I don't mean him."
"Not Vlacho--he's at the inn."
"No, I don't mean Vlacho."
"Who, then, man?"
"Some one you've seen."
"Oh, I give it up. It's not the time of day for riddles."
"The lady who dined at the next table to us at the Optimum," said I.
Denny jumped back in amazement, with a long, low whistle.
"What, the one who was with Constantine?" he cried.
"Yes," said I. "The one who was with Constantine."
They were all three round me now; and, thinking that it would be better
that they should know what I knew, and four lives instead of one stand
between a ruffian and the impunity he hoped for, I raised my voice and
went on in an emphatic tone:
"Yes. She's there, and she's his wife."
A moment's astonished silence greeted my announcement. It was broken by
none of our party. But there came from the battlemented roof above us a
low, long, mournful moan that made its way straight to my heart, armed
with its dart of outraged pride and trust betrayed. It was not thus,
boldly and abruptly, that I should have told my news. But I did not know
that Euphrosyne was still above us, hidden by the battlements; nor had I
known that she understood English. We all looked up. The moan was not
repeated. Presently we heard slow steps retreating with a faltering
tread across the roof; and we also went into the house in silence and
sorrow. For a thing like that gets hold of a man; and when he has heard
it, it's hard for him to sit down and be merry till the fellow that
caused it has paid his reckoning--as I swore then and there that
Constantine Stefanopoulos should pay his.
CHAPTER VI.
THE POEM OF ONE-EYED ALEXANDER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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