The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

114 The Perplexities of Captain I*teramosca. For a short time watcher and watched were the only creatures stirring in the lonely little space. From the grand canal, very full to-night of gondolas, floated the faint sound of successive serenades. All at once, like a single message detached from the volume of melody, the light twinkle of a guitar was heard to draw nearer and nearer. ‘The musicians—three altogether—appeared, mounted the | steps of the Campiello, and planted themselves under Clelia’s window. Conceive the jealous rage of Fieramosca, who knew they must have been sent by Signor Biagio! Conceive the excitement of the inquisitive old priest, who thought they had been hired by Fiera- mosca ! A light tenor lifted up his voice and warbled Venetian love ditties —unique songs, which combine the tenderness of Lindoro with the malice of Harlequin. It was like a scene out of a comedy by Goldoni. But Captain Fieramosca was in no mood to institute literary com- parisons, and execrated performance and performers with the energy of a trooper. He only recovered a portion of calm on perceiving that the sole effect of the aspirant bridegroom’s homage was to elicit the respectable but unlovely head of the Signora Maria. “Vou have been sent by Signor Biagio?” she shrilly and pro- saically inquired on appearing at the window. ‘‘Oh, Signora, that is a secret,” was the laughing answer. “Secret? Fiddlesticks! I wish to know?” ‘And we may not tell.” “Then you may just take yourselves off for a pack of sc-2aling fools,” was the candid retort, and the window closed with a bang upon the wrath of Clelia’s mother. ‘T suppose that Jew will think he has had his money’s worth out of us by now,” »resently remarked the singer to his companions. ‘We might go back to him.” ““ Andemo! Let us go.” And they departed, closely followed by Fieramosca, who in his turn was tracked by the priest. Love, unreasonable in itself as we know, is rendered more so by its *‘ familiar ””—the green-eyed monster. It may seem inconceivable, and yet it is true, that the musicians’ refusal to give the name of their employer had rendered our son of Mars uneasy. Perhaps Clelia might have other admirers, he thought with a pang. At any rate, he wished to be sure. And the old priest, in his zeal for his friend the good Signora Maria, wished to be sure also; and was, moreover, as sapiently convinced as ever that the instigator of the music was the officer. A short walk brought the serenaders to the marble steps, where a gondola was waiting. Captain Fieramosca leaning casually over a parapet appeared to be admiring the moonlit ripple of the water. The priest, afraid of being seen, had to take up i position where he could hardly hear anything. . comicbooks#co