Mezzoni the Brigand — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. 95 | either naturally decaying powers, or the mental trouble this subject had caused him, seemed, as we have intimated, to seriously wear upon him. He grew languid, remained much at home, slept a large portion of the time, two-thirds at least of the twenty- four hours, and in short was plainly a sick man. His physician was called to see him, but beyond a few simple suggestions, recommended nothing, de- claring to some of his anxious friends that the count was growing old, and there was no disguising so plain a fact. The physician being more closely questioned said that he thought he would soon be better, and in the meantime he would give him tonics. Let her infidelity of heart be as earnest as it might, Signora Amadeo seemed to make up for it in her character of nurse, for she permitted no want of her invalid husband, however trifling it might be, to go unsatisfied, devoting many hours of the day and night to his care. She made no parade of this, but simply seemed to be doing the conscientious duty of a devoted wife. The old count himself was mani- festly touched by this unusual attention, and the self-abnegation which it entailed. It needed not the hints of his friends to lead him to observe this characteristic of his wife. He was a tender and ap- preciative husband after all; a gentleman at heart in all things. The count spoke very kindly to his wife upon all matters, intimated that he had entirely forgiven her for that little piece of youthful indiscretion, as he was pleased to term it, relating to her visit to the Corrello palace, and promised as soon as his own health should be sufficiently improved to consult her wishes more closely in all things. They would go ,;cO comicbooks io s aa so % * : : .. » ¥