The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti: From Coals Of Fire And Other Stories, Volume II. (of III.)Murray, David Christie
General
The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti: From Coals Of Fire And Other Stories, Volume II. (of III.)
Murray, David Christie
Fiction
This man suspected me of designs upon those bank-notes, I began to
think, and was possibly lingering here to guard a stranger, from some
such motive as my own. Still, it was scarcely safe to trust him alone,
and I was not disposed to do so. The idea of his suspecting me amused me
for a minute and then amazed me, but I continued my promenade as if no
such thought had occurred to me. So we went on until my watch marked
half past seven o'clock, when Grammont awoke. We were not far from the
cabstand, and I led him thither, assisted him to enter the vehicle, gave
the driver his half-franc, and bade him drive to the Basso Porto. The
man in the blouse followed, and watched closely all the time, and my
later belief concerning him was quite confirmed. Dismissing him from my
mind, I entered a biroccio and drove to the Caffè. Arthur had left long
since, with a message for me to the effect that he would be at home at
Posilipo at eleven o'clock. Perhaps he had gone to the Opera, I thought,
and with the intention of discovering him I wandered from the Caffè. The
evening was very beautiful, and I changed my mind. I would roam along by
the bay and enjoy the sunset, and give myself up to the delights of the
country. As I wandered on, my thoughts ran back to Cecilia, and I had
another inward battle with myself. I found myself, in the excitement of
my thoughts, walking faster and faster until I was far from the city,
and alone in a country lane with the moonlight. The moon was up, and
up at the full, before the sun was down; and so soon as the gathering
twilight gave her power, she bathed the landscape in so lovely a light
that even my sore and troubled heart grew tranquil to behold it. I stood
near an abrupt turning in the lane, and watched the tremor in the soft
lustre of the bay, which looked as though innumerable great jewels rose
slowly to its surface and there melted and were lost, whilst all
the time innumerable others took the place of these dissolving gems,
themselves dissolving in their turn, whilst countless others slowly
rose. Here and there was a light upon the water, and here and there the
shadow of a boat. And, far away, like the audible soul of the sea, was
the soft, soft sound of music, where some boating party sang together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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