The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 30, 1898, Image 8
liie Mice o? Giraldo tfee Palmer
Bfr A&TEOKY HOFE.
tCojsrrfsfct. J$S7. bj A. H. Hawkins. 1
?ben the twenty-first birthday of
?38 Princess Osra approached, her
brother, King Rudolf, desiring to make
her a present, summoned from his home
.at Verona in Italy a painter of very
high fame, by name Giraldo, and com?
manded him to paint a portrait of the
princess, to te her brother's gift to her.
This command Giraldo carried ont, the
princess giving him every opportunity
?i! steely ic g her features and grudging
no time that was spent by her in front
of his easel, and the picture, when fin
Mied, being pronounced to be as faith
fi?2 as beautiful, the reputation of Giral?
do was greatly enhanced by the pain t
ir? o? it. Thus it followed that in many
cases, when foreign princes had heard
ike widespread praises of Osra'a beauty,
tfcey sect orders to Giraldo to execute
lor them and dispatch, with all speed
miniatures or other portraits of the
princesa, that they might judge for
This command Giraldo carried out.
themselves whether she were in truth
as lovely as report said, and they sent
Giraldo large sums of money in recom?
pense, adding not seldom some further
donation in the express term and con?
dition that Giraldo should observe ab?
solute fidelity in his representation and
not permit himself the least flattery,
for some desired themselves to court
her., and others intended their sons to
ask her hand, if the evidence of Giral
; do5f i portraits satisfied their hopea Thus
Giraldo, although but two cr three
years above 80, grew both in fame and
wealth and was very often indebted to
-B the princess for the favor of a visit to
his bouse that ne might again correct
his memory of her face.
Now, what several princes had done
before it chanced that the king of Glot?
tenberg also did, and Giraldo, to all
appearances much pleased, accepted the
command and prayed the princess to
visit him, fer, he said, this picture was
J to ce larger and more elaborate than
the rest and. therefore needed more
study of her. So the princess went
many times, and the portrait destined
for the king of Glotten"berg, who was
said to be seeking a suitable alliance
:for his eldest son, grew before her eyes
into the most perfect and beautiful pre?
sentment cf her which the skill of Gi?
raldo had ever accomplished, and sur
3mpsed-eyen that first picture which he
had painted by King Rudolf's com?
mand. And the king had no doubt that
so soon as the picture had reached the
court of Glottenberg an embassy would
come from there to demand the hand of
his sister for the crown prince, a pro?
posal which hp would have received
with much pleasure and gratification.
"I do not think," said Osra, tossing
her head, "that any such embassy will
come, sire, for four or five pictures
have been already painted by Signor
Giraldo in like manner, but no embas?
sies have come. It seems that my poor
features do not find approval in the
courts of Europe, "
A ad her tone, it must be confessed,
was full of contempt, for the Princess
Osra knew that she was beautiful, as
indeed all beautiful ladies are, by the
benevolence of heaven, permitted to.
How much greater mischief might they
work if such knowledge were denied
them!
"That's true "enough, " cried Rudolf.
"And I do not understand the meaning
of it But it will net be so at Glotten?
berg, fer my good brother the king
has eyes in his head, and his son sees
no less welL I met them in my travels
and I can speak of it. .Most certainly an
embassy will com? from Glottenberg
before we arc a month older."
Yet, strange io say, the same thing
followed cn the dispatch of the portrait
(which Giraldo sent by a certain trusty
messenger, whom he was accustomed to
employ) as bad happened before. No
embassy came, and the king of Glotten?
berg excused himself from paying a visit
to Strelsau which he and his son had
promised on the invitation,pf King Ru?
dolf. Therefore Rudolf was Tery vexed,
and Osra also, thinking herself scorned,
was sore at heart, although she bore
herself more proudly than before. And,
being very greatly disturbed in her
mind concerning her beauty, she went
herself again to Giraldo and charged
him to paint her once more.
"And this picture," she said, "is for
my own eyes and mine alene. There?
fore, signor, paint it faithfully and
spare me not, for if a woman be ugly
lt is well she should know it, and it
seems that nobody in tho kingdom will
tell me thc truth, although I get hints
enough of it from abroad." And she
frowned and flushed and was greatly
out of temper, as any beautiful lady
would in such a case most naturally be.
Giraldo bowed very low, seeking to
hide the sudden red that dyed his cheek
and to conceal the great joy which the
command of the princess gave him, for,
by reason of having so often painted tbe
princess, of having sc curiously studied
her face and of haying ..spent so much
time ?T?er omp'any, JisTenf?ig to b
conversation and enjoying her "wit ai
grace, this hopeless yonng man had b
come so hopelessly and desperately h
lover that he no longer cared to nse h
brash in the service cf any other lady^
lord and staid at Strelsau solely that 1
might again and again depict th f a<
that he loved, and, save when she sai b
fore him, he seemed now unable to p]
his art at all, and had he not received i
many commands for pictures of her 1
would have sat all day long idle, thin]
ing of her, which indeed was what 1
did in the intervals between his la bx
on her portraits. But she, not im ag ii
i ing such presumption and folly on h:
I part, thought that he was glad mere I
because she would pay him well, so si
promised him more and more, if onl
he would paint her faithfully, and h
gave her his word that he would pair
her in every respect most faithfully.
"For I desire to know, " said sb(
"what I am in truth like, for my mia
xor cays one thing and the king of Glol
tenoerg"- But here she stopped, n
j mern bering that such matters were nc
! fit for Giraldo's ears. Yet be must ha?
understood, for a strange, cunning, ei
nltsnt smile came on his lips as he tun:
ed t way and set himself to mix the col
ors on his palette, Thus he began thi
last picture, and the princess came e-v
ery day and staid long, so that Girald
might be able to render her likeness ii
evey most minute respect with perfec
fidelity.
"For," she thought resentfully
"either I have no eyes or they hav
none in Glottenberg."
But when she had thus been visiting
Giraldo fer hard upon a month and th
picture was nearly finished and was a
once the most lovely and the most faith
ful of all that Giraldo had painted, i
char ced that letters came to the kin;
from a nobleman of France who wa
well known to him and had known tb?
princess as well, the Marquis de Mero
sailks. And the marquis wrote to th<
king in the greatest .'".digestion anc
. scorn, upbraiding the king and saying
"What is this, sire? Do you keep a mad
man at your court and call him a paint
er? I have been at Glottenberg, anc
when I spoke there, as it >s my humbli
duty and my true delight to speak ev
ery where, of the incomparable beaut}
of your m jesty's sister, the Princess
Osra, the king, his son, and all^thi
company did nothing hut laugh. And 3
fought three duels with gentlemen o'
the court on this account, and two ol
them I, heaven helping me, wounded;
and one, by some devil's trick, wound
ed me. And after this, the matter com
lng to the king's ear, he sent for me anc
excused the laughter by showing me ?
picture dose by a rascal called Giraldc
at your court, and the picture waf
named after your majesty's most match?
less sister; but, as I am a true son ol
the church, it was more like a guttei
wench, and, on my honor and con?
science, it squinted most perceptibly. 1
pray you, sire, find ons the meaning ol
this thing and receive most humble du?
ty and homage from your devoted serv?
ant and, since your graciousness sc
wills it, mest obliged and obedient
friend, Henri, Marquis de Merosailles.
I kiss the hand of the princess. "
When the king had read this letter,
he grew very thoughtful, and, unknown
to Giraldo, he sent and caught the mes?
senger whom Giraldo was wont to in?
trust with the pictures and who had
carried the picture of which M. de Me
rcsai.'.les wrote to Glottsnberg, and the
king interrogated the messenger most
closely, but got nothing from him save
that he himself never beheld the pic?
tures which he carried, but received
them most carefully packed from Giral?
do and so delivered them without undo?
ing the coverings and did wait until the
recipient had inspected the picture. So
that the fellow did not know anything
about the picture that had gone to
Glott-ai berg except that it was certainly
the same as Giraldo had intrusted to
his hands. But the king was not satis?
fied, ind, learning that his sister was at
that moment at Giraldo's house being
painted afresh by him, he called half a
dozen of gentlemen and sot cut cn horse?
back for the place where Giraldo lived
in the street that runs from the cathe?
dral toward the western gate of strel?
sau. To this day tho house stands there.
The princess sat and Giraldo painted.
Behind tho princess was a window look?
ing on to the street, and behind Giraldo
was a second door, which led into an
inner room. On Giraldo's easel stood
the nearly finished picture, and Giral?
do's eyes were alight both; with love and
with triumph as he turned from the
princess to the picture and from the pic?
ture to the princess again, and she, see?
ing something of his admiration, said,
with a blush:
"Is it indeed faithful, signor?" For
it seemed even to herself a marvelously
lovely picture,
"No, madame," answered he, "for
my imperfect hand cannot be faithful
to perfection."
"I pray you, do not flatter me. Have
you indeed shown every fault of my
face?"
"If there be a fault :n your face,
madame, there it is also in my picture,"
said Giraldo.
The princess was silent for a moment,
and then she said:
"It is better, is it not, than the pic?
ture you painted for the king of Glot?
tenberg?"
Giraldo painted a stroke or two be?
fore he answered carelessly :
"Indeed, madame, it is mere faithful
than that which the king of Glotteu
.?Tghas."
"Then less beautiful?" asked Osra,
tvith a petulant smile.
"Nay, I do not say that. Net less
beautiful," he answered.
"Perhaps he would like this one bet?
ter and give me his in exchange, for I
never saw his after it was finished. I
think I will ask the king to write to
him."
Giraldo had suddenly -urned round
as the princess made this suggestion,
which she spoke half ia sport, half in
continuing chagrin at the blindness
shown by the court of Glott'juberg.
Now he stood staring at her with wide
open, alarmed eyes, and he dropped his
brusbes^on tcxthe.ficor. - - .
I "'What ails von,* signor?" she cried,
j "? did but suggest exchanging tho pic
! tr res,"
He tried to refrain his composure as
hu stooped to pick np his brushes.
"The king cf Glottcnberg'spicture is
tte best for him to have," said he sul?
lenly. "This one, madame, I painted for
you yooiself and for you alone."
"I pay the price and can do what I
will with the picture," retorted the
princess haughtily. "And if I desire I
w?l give it to the king of Glottenberg. "
Giraldo had now turned very pale,
and, forgetful of the picture, stood gaz
I ing fixed ly at the princess, for he could
i nc longer' hold down in secrecy and si
! lenee thi? passion that possessed him,
?brit it was declared in his eyes and in
tba trembling of his limbs, so that thc
princess irose from her chair and shrank
away from him in alarm, regretting
that she had dismissed her ladies in or?
der to bo less restrained in talk with
ih<* pain ?er, and she tried to cry out,
thut they might hear her where they
were in an adjoining room, but her cry
froze on her lips at the sight cf Giral?
do a passion. And bo cried in a hoarse
whisper:
"He shall not have the picture, he
shi.11 not have it!" And as he spoke ho
moved nearer to the princess, who still
shrank away from him, being now in
very great alarm and thinking that
surely he had run mad. Yet she looked
at him and, looking, saw whence his
madness same, and she felt pity for
him and held out her clasped hands
toward him, saying in a very soft voice
and with eyes that grew sad and tender:
"Ah, sismor, signor, am I always to
have lovers and never a friend?"
At this the unfortunate painter was
overcome, and, dropping his head be?
tween his hands, he gave a deep, half
stiffed sob, and then he cried:
"God's curse on mo for having slan?
dered the beauty that I love!" And
theil he so bbed again.
But the princess wondered greatly
what he meant by his strange cry, and
turned her eyes again on him in be?
wildered questioning, saying, as she
pointed to the picture:
"There is no slander here, signor,
nnliiss too much praise be slander."
Giraldo made no answer in words,
but springing toward her caught her by
the wrist and dr?w her across the room
to the door behind the easel. With fe?
verish haste he unlocked it and passed
through. The princess, although now
free from Iiis grip, followed him in a
sort of fascination. Giraldo drew tho
door close behind him, and at the mo?
ment the princess gave a cry, half
scream, half laughter, fer facing her
she saw, each on its easel, three, four,
five, six pic tures of herself, each beauti?
ful and pointed most lovingly, and the
last of the isix was the picture that had
been painted by order of the king of
Glor?enberg;, for she knew it by the at?
tire, although the face bael not been fin?
ished when she had last seen it A sud?
den enligh ?enment pierced her mind,
and she knew that Giraldo had not sent
the pictures for which she had sat to
him, but hid kept them himself and
sent others 1:0 his patrons. This strange
conviction found its sure confirmation
in a seventh easel which stood apart
from the rest on the other side of the
door, for it ; supported what was in all
respects a ccpy of the portrait on which
Giraldo was now engaged, save that by
cunning touches he had imparted to the
face an alien and fearful aspect, for
here, although the features had their
shape and perfect grace, yet it was the
face of a devil that looked out cn tho
canvas, a face that a man would not
havo gazing at him from the wall on to
the bed wheie he sought sleep.
B it when Giraldo saw her eyes fixed !
on this picture he cried: "That is for
you-the other is mine. Ara they not 1
youi feature?? The king of Glottenberg
shot! ld not have even your features.
But you shal l have them, and if a devil
looks out through such a fair mask is
it net so with ali fair women that lead i
"There is your true picture, Princess
Osra."
even to destruction? There is your true !
picture, Princess Osra." And he flung !
himself on a couch with a mad cry of
rage and then a groan of despair.
Tho Princess Osra looked at him, and
at the beautiful pictures, and then at ;
the picture that was like her and yet i
like a devil. F:.rst she pitied the paint?
er, and then marveled at his wonderful i
skill, that so transformed her without j
drawing a line that could called un- j
true. Thus tr inking, sh stood for
awhile, grave and puzzled. But then j
the humor struck her, as it struck her I
house always :in great things and in
smal", and it :;cemcd to her most ludi?
crous that tho pictures should all bo
resting here in Giraldo's house, while
the prince? ?vho ly vi c?^maucVid ' EOS
traits* of ber had received nothing ont
disto-rted parodies o? her face, to tho
end that they might bc di s ted, and, j
abandoning the alliance they had pro- J
jeered, leave her still at Strelsau to ho ?
.painted times out cf numbesrand most 1
fruitlessly by this mad"'painter. An
these thoughts gaining the mastery ov
i the others, in spite of the sad plight
unhappy Signor Gi raido, her lips cur??
i into a bow, her eyes gleamed in dancii
merriment, and a moment later si
broke into a glad, gleeful laugh, th
rose and rippled and fell to soft, deligh
I ed murmurings. And she looked aga:
at the picture that was like her and a
so like a devil, and her mirth grew ar
grew at the ingenuity of the work ai
the mocking deviltry so cunning]
made out of her face. Small wondt
was it to ber now that the embassi'
had not come.
The Princess Ora thus stood lang]
ing, and presently Signor Giraldo looJ
ed up, and when he had listened ar
j looked for a few moments his wi]
mood caught the infection from ber, i
I that, springing to his feet, he also h
gan to laugh loudly, like a mon wi
j cannot restrain h:ia amusement, but :
earried away by it beyond all bonne
and restraint Thu? Giraldo laughe
loudly, long and fiercely, for there w:
madness in his laugh. And the prince}
heard the madness, and even while si
still laughed her eyes opened in wor
der; alarm came on her face, her men
laugh quivered, trembled, choked i
her throat, and at last died away int
dumbness, yet ber lips hung apar
frozen in the shape of laughter whiJ
no laughter came. And as her laug
thus ended in mute horror his gre1
louder yet and wilder, and its peal ran
through the room as he gasped betwee
his spasms of horrid mirth, "You, yoi
youl" and pointed at the picture whic
he had touched into devilishness. Bc
she shrank away and stood crouche
against the wall, for she knew new thz
he was mad, but did not know to wc:
his fury might next; lead him. Then h
caught up a knife that lay on the sr
of the window, and, now smiling a
though in grim, quiet amnsemenl
strode across to the row of pictures an
reached up to thein, knife in bane
But Osra suddenly sprang forwarc
crying, "Donot hurt them."
"These?" he asked, turning to hei
with a sneer. ' 'These? I'll destroy ther
all, for they arc no longer beautiful t
me, but that one only is beautiful, be
cause it is true." And he wrenched hi
arm away from the detaining hand tba
she had laid upon it. Falling back i;
terror, she watched him catting an?
slashing each cf the pictures until th
face was utterly' destroyed. And sb
feared that when he had finished wit J
the pictures he would turn upon her
Therefore she Hung herself on the couch
hiding her face for fear of some norri
ble fate, and she murmured lew to her
self, "Not my face, O God, not rn;
face!" And she pressed her face cow:
into the cushions of the couch, wim?
bo, muttering and grumbling to him
self, cut tho pictures into strips and rib
bons and strewed the fragments at hi;
feet on the floor. And, this done, h<
turned to the face that ho now lovec
and poured out to it, as though it h ac
been an idol ho worshiped, a flood c:
wild, passionate, reproachful words tba
Osra shivered to hear, and the purpor
of which she dared tell none, thor-g:
for all her prayers ehe could not hersell
forget ono of them.
At last he carno to her again anc
plucked her roughly and rudely fren
the couch where she lay and draggec
her behind him back to the door agair
and through it, and they stood together:
in front of the last picture, whose paint
wai still wet from hi? hand. The paint?
ed face smiled down on the trembling,
pale girl, with its smile of careless, se?
rene dignity, so that now even to her?
self it seemed hardly to bo her picture,
for it was the true presentment of a
king's daughter, and she no better than
a helpless, frightened giri. It seemed tc
reproach her, and suddenly she drew
herself to her full height and turned tc
Giraldo, saying, "You shall not touch
it" And she stepped forward so thai
she stood between him and the picture,
raising her hand and forbidding him to
approach it with his knife. And now
the picture seemed more tc be hers, al?
though where it smiled she frowned.
But at this moment there came
through the window that opened on the
street the clatter of horses' hoofs. At
the sound Giraldo arrested the motion
that he had already made to fling him?
self at the princess, whether to kill her
or only to thrust her away from the
front of the picture she did net knew.
Running to the window, ho looked cut
and called in seeming glee, "It is the
king como to see my pictures!" And he
looked proud and happy. Going to the
door of the room, he flung it open and
stood there waiting for the king and
j the gentlemen who attended tho king,
j They wero not long in coming, for Hu
I dolf was full cf anger, impatience and
? anxiety, and ran swiftly up the 'stair?
case. His gentlemen pressed into the
room behind him, and Giraldo drew
back, keeping his face to tho king and
bowing again and again. But the king
and the rest saw the knife in his hand,
and ragged strips of painted canvas
hung here and there on his clothes
? while the princess, pale and proud,
stood guarding tho picture on the easel.
The king, in spite of hi3 wonder, was
not turned from the purpose which had
j brought him to tho painter's house, but
I with a quick step darted np to Giraldo
j and thrust tho letter of tho Marquis de
! Merosailles into bis haud, bidding him
in a sharp, peremptory tone to read it
and give what explanation he could of
j the contents.
Giraldo fell to reading of it, while
j the king turned to his sister in order to
j ask her why she seemed agitated and
I stcod so obstinately in front of her own
j picture, but at that instant ene of tho
j gentlemen, whose name was Ladislas,
i gave a cry of surprise, for he had look
I ed through the door into the inner room
? and seen the havoc and destruction that
Giraldo had n?:de, and a!?o the strange
i and terrible picture that alone liad cs
caped the knife. The king, wondering,
S followed Ladislas to rho ih:<pho?il of
j the inner room and yus's?d it, while his
; gentlemen,Jin!i ai vi:;-, crowded
cicse on iiis Heels after liinj.
j The Princess Osra, thinking herself
! safe, found her anger and terror pass
j away as her mirth had passed before.
! Now she .felt at .her. heart that ni tv
which herders oil tenderness and whi
she eoe Id iieTer refuse to a mau ti:
loved her, let the folly of his love a
of the extravagances iuto which it dre
him he as great as it would. Tumi:
toward Giraldo, she saw him fretti:
his puckered brow with his hand a:
vainly seekine to coronel, his disorder
brain to understand M. de Merosailh
letter. So she was very sorry for hi]
and, knowing the sudden, hot temp
to which the careless king wa3 subjec
she glided swiftly across to the paint
and whispered: "Escape and bid
Hide for a few days. He will be fu:
ons now, but he will soon forget Doi
wait now, but escape, signor. Soi
harm will happen to you here. " And
her eager pleading with him she ia
her hand on his arm and looked up
his face with imploring eyes. But '.
looked at her with dazed, vacant stai
muttering, "I cannot read the letter.
Then a wistful smile came on his fae
and he thrust the letter toward he
saying, "Madame, will you read it f
me?*' And at that moment they bea
the king swear an angry oath, for J
had seen the mad picture of his sister.
"No, no, not now," whispered Osr
beseeching Giraldo, "not now, signe
Listen; the king is angry. Escape no*i
and we will read the letter afterward.
And she was as earnest as though si
? had loved him and were praying him
save himself for the sake of her lov
And he looked into her softened eye
and suddenly, giving a little cry, as
a great joy had como to him unexpec
edly and contrary to all likelihood, 1
dropped M. de Merosaiiles' letter ar
sprang to where his brushes lay on ti
floor, and seizing them and his palet
ho gave another swift glance at tl
princess and then, turning to the pi
ture, began to paint with marveloi
dexterity and deftness and with tl
swift confidence cf a man inspired :
the work. As he worked his brow gre
smoother, the tension of his strain?
face relaxed, happiness dawned in h
eyes, and a smile broke on his lips, ar
Osra watched him with a tender, so
rowful gaze. Still he painted, and 1
was painting when the king burst j
from the other room in a great rage ar
carrying his sword drawn in his ham
for he had sworn by Our Lady and S
Peter to kill the rogue who had doi
the princess such a wrong and so slai
dered her beauty. And his gentleme
came in with him all very ready to se
Giraldo kilird, but each eager that tl
king should leavo the task to him. Y<
when they entered and saw Giralo
painting as though he were wrapt b
some ecstasy and had forgotten all tin
had passed-nay, even their very prei
euee-they paused in unwilling an
constrained hesitation, and Osra raise
her hand to bid them stay still wbe:
they were and not interfere with Gira
do's painting, for now she desired abov
all things on earth that he should t
left to finish his task, for he though
that he had read more than pity an
mere than tenderness in Osra's eye.'
He had seemed to see love there, an
thus he had cried out in joy, and thu
he was now painting as never had eve:
he, for all his skill, painted before. Hi
unerring hand, moving lightly to an
fro, imparted tho sweetness of his de
lusive vision to the canvas, so that th
eyes of the portrait glowed with won
derful and beautiful love and gentleness
Presently Giraldo began to sing ver
softly to himself a sweet, happy ol<
song that peasants sang to peasant girl
in the fields outside his native Veroni
on summer evenings. His head 'wa
thrown back in triumph and exulta
tion ?s ho sang and worked, tasting th<
luxury of love and glorying in the trib
ute that his genius paid to her whom h<
loved. Thus came a moment of greai
joy to the soul of Giraldo the painter,
for a man's love and a man's work are,
when they seem to prosper, of all things
the sweetest, and their union in one
his life's consummation.
It was done. He laid down the brush
and drew back a step, looking on what
he had done. The princess came softly
and slowly, as though attracted against
her \?. and stood by him, for she saw
that this picturo was now, beyond all
compare, the most perfect and beautiful
of all that ho or any other man had
painted of her, and she loved him for
thus glorifying her. But before many
moments had gone by a sudden start
and shiver ran through Giraldo's body.
The spell of his entranced ecstasy broke.
His eyes fell from the masterpiece that
he had made and wandered to those
! who steed about him-to the gentlemen
who did net know whether to wonder
I or to langh, to tho angry face of the
king and the naked sword in his hand,
at last to Osra, whose eves were still
on tho picture. And his exultation van?
ished, and with it went, as it seemed
to them, his madness. Eeason dawned
for a moment in his eyes, but was
quenched in an instant by shame and
despair, for he knew that ail hftd seen
that other picture, and they knew
what ho had done, and suddenly with a
stifled cry he flung himself full length
on the floor at Osra's feet
"Let us wait, ' ' said she gently. ' 'He
will be himself again soon. "
But thc king was too angry to listen.
"He has made us fools before half
Europe," he said angrily, "and he
shall not live to talk cf it. And you
have you seen the picture yonder?"
"Yes, I havo seen it," said she.
"But he does not now think that pic?
turo like me, but this one. " And she
turned to the gentlemen and desired
them to raise Giraldo and lay him ou a
couch, and they obeyed. Then she knelt
by his head, and after awhile he opened
his eyes, seeming sound of sense in ev?
erything except that he believed she
loved him, so that he began to whisper
to her as lovers whisper to their loves,
very tenderly and very low. And tho
king, with his gentlemen, stood a little
way off. But the princess said nothing
to Giraldo, neither refusing his love nor
; yet saying what was false, yet she suf?
fered him to talk and to reach up his
hand and gently touch a leek of hair
: that strayed on her forehead. And he,
sighing hi uttervh.a.p'i'uess and cenrenr
mentV closed In's ovos again" and Icy
back very quietly on the couch.
"Let ns go," said she, rising. "I
j will send a physician." And she bade
one of tho gentlemen lock the. inner j
room and give lier? ihe key, and'she
and the king, and they all, then de?
parted and sent his servants tc tend Gi?
raldo, and OST3 caused the king's phy?
sician also to be summoned. Bet Gi?
raldo did no more than linger some few
days alive,, and for the* most cf them he
was in. a high fever, his brain being
wild, and he raved a bent the"princess,
sometimes railing at her, sometimes
"Let us go,13 said she, vising.
praising her, yet once or twice he woke,
calm and happy as he had been when
she knelt by him and having for his on?
ly delusion the thought that she still
knelt there and was breathing words cf
love into his ear. And in this last mer?
ciful error, in respect of which the phy?
sicians humored him, he one day, a
week later, passed away and was at
peace.
Then the princess came, attended by
one gertleman in whom she placed con?
fidence, and she destroyed thc evil pic?
ture mat Giraldo had painted and, hav?
ing caused a fire to be made, burnt up
the pieces of it and all the ruins of the
pictures that Giraldo had destroyed.
But that on which he had last worked
so happily and with such triumph of art
she carried with her to the palace, and
presently she caused copies to be made
of it and sent to each of the princes by
whom Giraldo had been commanded to
paint her picture and with it the money
he had received, the whole cf which
was found to be untouched in a cabinet
in his house. But the picture itself she
hung in her own chamber and would
often look at it, feeling great sorrow
for the fate of Giraldo the painter.
Yet King Rudolf could not be pre?
vailed to pity the young man, saying
that for his part he should have to be
mad before the love of a woman should
drive him mad, and he cursed Giraldo
for an insolent knave, declaring that he
did well to die cf his own accord. And
because M. de Merosailles had gallantly
defended his sister's beauty in three
duels he sent him by tho hands of a
great officer his Order cf the Red Rose,
which M. de Merosailles wore with
great pride at the court cf Versailles.
. But when the copies of the laslfpic?
ture reached thc courts to which they
were addressed, together with the money
and a brief history cf Giraldo's mad
doings, the princes turned their thoughts
again to the matter cf the alliance and
several embassies set cut for Strelsau,
so that Princess Osra said, with a smile
that was half sad, half amused and
very whimsical:
"I am much troubled by reason cf
thc less of Signor Giraldo, my painter.M
THE END.
Sorfe-Es6t*m R. 8? ol 5. C.
TRAINS GOING
DeM Fob
14. 1537.
.Iso ZZiVG 53;
A. i
i i
j rrj
i Le. F?t?veso
Ar. ?s&zzz I 4 ??j ? iSi p. sr.)
Li. L:??cn fi 33 9 ?5 j : 40j
Ar.Cb%rl,tia j 0 03(10 5->\ 0 15;
.A. y. i p Nj P af :
TB A INS GOING NORTH
KO. 73 : t-o 32 ! if0.52
Le. Ch*r?'?'G
<Lr. Uinoe
Lo. L.?u?e
??c. '''?errare
i i
. ? M. j ? K. ? A. a I
j 6 33 =' 5 17 i 7 00 ?
j S 18 : 6 ?5 j 3 32 .
? 8 18 6 45 !
?841 ? I
i 9 28 I 7 05 j [
! ? M. i P M. ! I M ?
*D?i!j. tOaiiy except Sunday
Ns. 52 rani (brough to Co?iirahia r?s Or?
t-?? S. Ii. of G. C.
Tr*!.-? Ves. 7? ft-.? 32 rus via rviiscr? z*-.
Fayaiicvi'le-Short Lise-A?I? tnake cioee
c .?..t.oc?-on foral? points Norie.
Traies os C. t D R S. irare FK.re^ce
9 s o, a:::?^ D&rlisgica !0 28 a r;. Chf
rac Ii 40 s U?, W&d??bcro 12 35 p ni L+aif
Favenc-, ?ai?j exempt Su;?ds7, S.00 p S3, ar?
rive Oar ?2^:ca 8 25 p rr., Bar?svi'le S 23 p
T. B?nc*t?3vi:?a 3 21 p m, Gibeen 9 45 p n>.
??SVH F?oresc?, Sacatj onlr S ?!. a TR. ar?
rive DirKngroo ?O 27 cs, HartST?ile II !9
a rc.
I,pr,ve Gib:on cjfiily vxixy. Ss&a?ay 6 35 a
iv. Bea: eUS*?fk G 'O i cc. erriv? ?Dg?oa
7 50 a rs. Leave Hurtsville daily exsrpt San
day 7 CO *- ~. arrirs Dafiinjrtcn 7 45 e ra
leava D.ir;;;?;*:; p. 8 55 sri, f.ir;*"? FlarcPCe
9 20 ? v? Lf;vc W>.?tcfcc-:o, ?.xll'j escort
Sun ia v 4 2 i j> cs , Ch&rati J 15 p u;, Dcr
lingto-. ? 2'> p st, Fsoreace 7 OO p ea Le.ivc
Eartsviiie, Susdsy only 8 l? a rr. , Darliaj
ton 9 00 a sa., ;;:r:re Florence S 20 a rn
J R.K25LY, ?ryo. F. D?
Gen'! Maa..>;,
T. M. EMKRSCK. Trafic Hazs-2er.
... v. ^. t uu| L