The Argosy — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

The Sabblure Cross. IIQ spent in meditation he went to call upon Lucia. Fortunately she was alone. “Vou must not fret,” said the lawyer kindly, as he looked at her pale cheeks and the dark circles under her eyes. “I feel sure all will come right in the end. But we must find somebody else to accuse.” And whom?” said Lucia, despairingly. ‘ You know how in the first investigation nothing could be discovered against the servants.” “True. But the servants must have had friends or acquaintances coming constantly to the house. My impression is that the law was thrown off the right track in the very first instance by Count Cioronski’s own apparent conviction of Guido’s guilt. You know how damning his evidence was in Court. I hear that it was, if possible, even stronger before the Judge of Instruction. And in Court he would, of course, have added much more but for his crazy fit of excitement.” “But why should he have made up his mind that Guido was guilty P” “Who knows?” Signor Renzo shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘ Madness (he is half demented evidently), caprice, jealousy even. Was he jealous, do you think ?” asked the lawyer, sharply. “TI don’t know.” Lucia turned deadly pale. The thought was torture—for all her faith in Guido. “You see,” said Signor Renzo, “ the strongest point against Guido is his presence in the house at that particular moment, combined with his fatal forgetfulness in regard to old Baroni’s change of residence. The theory of the prosecution is that he had gone to the Countess’s apartment with some plan, probably not very definite, of robbery, or perhaps only with the idea of obtaining money from her. Disappointed of seeing her at first, he had lingered about the stairs until he heard, or saw, Carlotta descend. ‘Then he entered, found the rooms deserted, the Countess asleep, and saw the jewels on the table, The temptation was overpowering; he took them. The Countess suddenly roused, started up, and the thief shot her to avoid detection.” . “So that you suppose him to have committed a second crime to escape from the consequences of the first?” exclaimed Lucia, half indignantly. “Cara mia! if criminals were always cool headed and always logical, J assure you we should have very few interesting trials,” answered Signor Renzo. ‘This, as I tell you, is the theory of the prosecution. To destroy it we must substitute another theory for it: in other words, find another assassin. Now you were a good deal at the Countess’s. Were there any miserable, half-starved hangers-on of the servants, who would be likely to learn the habits of the house- hold, and be able, consequently, to choose the best moment for a robbery ?” CONnRICLOOOKS.EO mn