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
Advocate: One word more. Could you identify the man against whom you
ran?
Witness: I was too agitated at the time to recognise him.
In this wise the story came out. Ah me! how I accused myself in my heart
for my suspicions. The tears of joy were in my eyes so thickly that I
could scarcely see. I had my friend back again, and my love was saved
this overwhelming horror which had seemed to threaten her.
The Public Accuser rose and cross-examined Arthur Clyde, for form's
sake, I suppose. But the jury professed themselves satisfied with the
evidence before them, and before I quite knew what had happened I was in
a chariot in the street--a chariot with no horses at all, but a thousand
men, to draw it. The story was abroad. The city rang with it. I had
risked my life to save a friend from suspicion, and those who cursed me
in the morning cheered me in the afternoon, until they were too hoarse
to cheer me longer. Happily, Cecilia's name was kept out of this noisy
chorus of applause which roared so in my ears. I was glad and excited,
and had no objection to be made a hero. As soon as I could be rescued,
Mr. Gregory bore me away to Posilipo, where I found Arthur quite
worn out with the fatigue and excitement of the day. Those influences
retarded his recovery for a week or two, but before the autumn came
he was well and strong again. I begged hard of Mr. Gregory and the
Advocate, and at last they came to agree with me, and to this day Arthur
does not know of my suspicions of him. He regards my reception by the
populace as a curious illustration of the excitability of an Italian
mob--as no doubt it was.
Giovanni Fornajo, otherwise John Baker, went to the Sardinian salt mines
for the term of his natural life, and is serving there now.
I am godfather to Cecilia's boy, and I am an Italian old bachelor.
I shall never marry, but I am contented. My last news is that my old
patron, at the age of fifty-five, has proposed to Miss Grammont, and
that she has not refused him.
If you will look into the little churchyard at Posilipo you will find
a flat marble slab with a name on it, and no more. The name it bears is
that of Alberto Lezzi, who but for his early death would have been one
of the great legal orators of Europe. The case which first brought him
into note was mine. I have not told you his name before, but my advocate
was the great Alberto Lezzi. It was his hand which averted the tragedy
of my life, and it is to his memory that I dedicate this story.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti, by
David Christie Murray
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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