The Argosy — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

The Sapphire Cross. 117 pockets. He must have parted with them the same night, probably within the same hour. What was more likely than that in his hurry and confusion of mind he should momentarily have overlooked the sapphire cross? ‘The Public Prosecutor reminded the Court of the embarrassment which Guido had betrayed when Pietro Siccoli found the cross; he recapitulated all the evidence point by point; he laid especial stress upon the fact, strange as he declared it, that Lucia had never mentioned to her aunt the supposed gift from the Countess to her of a valuable and beautiful jewel ; and he concluded suddenly by calling upon the jury, in the name of justice and common sense, to inflict upon Guido Zondara the full punishment of the Tuscan law for murder—in other words, the galleys for life. The brief winter day had long drawn to a close, when the jury withdrew to consider their verdict. Before they returned the audience had greatly thinned: most people had gone home to dinner. ‘The really interesting part of the trial was over. Where was the use of waiting for the verdict? ‘The evening papers would have that. The lawyers shuffled their notes; the President went comfortably to sleep on his bench; Beppina and Angela stirred up the live cinders in their little earthen pots of braize, and carried on a whispered con- versation with the fat usher. In Lucia every feeling was distilled to one exquisite agony of sus- pense. Mechanically she still kept her eyes fixed on the dock, from which, however, Guido, according to the practice of Italian courts, had been removed. The jury returned. Silently the twelve took their places; the President roused himself; even his mute colleagues showed some amoeba-like signs of animation. The usual questions were put. Was Guido Zondara a thief? Was he a murderer? ‘To each the answer was ‘‘ Yes,” and then the foreman announced that in con- sideration of the prisoner’s youth the punishment recommended by the jury was—twenty years’ hard labour. Lucia started as if shot when the carabineers brought back Guido to receive his sentence after the jury had delivered their verdict. “Tt is really better than I hoped. It is your evidence that has done it. And we can appeal. We ——” | Signor Renzo was speaking rapidly, ardently, but he suddenly ceased. Lucia raised her eyes to his face, and every emotion but pity died down in the young lawyer’s generous heart before that glance of unutterable despair! CHAE PER yt. SIGNOR RENZO. “It’s all very well for you to talk, Beppina. Propriety here, pro- priety there. You know just as much about it as you do of the patience of the saints. Of course Lucia and I went to see the poor Comnuiclooolkks (SO)