Rouge et Noire Page: 450
[18], 387-480, [48] p. : ill. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this prose (fiction).
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Ainslee's Magazine
calmly, as she always did, and briefly, in
her thrilling, flute-like tones. "Angel of
Iny life'," she said, "let it not be long
that thou arlt away froni me. Thou know-
est that life is not a thing to be endured
with thiu not at my side. Tell me if I
cun do aught in this matter. If not, I will
v.ait a little while. I come again in tlhe
morning."
IDicky, with his shoes removed so as not
to disturbl his fellow prisoners, tramped the
floor of the jail half the night condening
his lack of money and the cause of it-
hatever that might have been. lie knew
very well that money xwoul have bought his
release at once.
Eir tw o im\ su acceding PIasa came at
ech appointed tint and brought him food.
lie eagerly imlliirted each time if a letter or
pac'kae had come for himi, mandl she moturn-
fully school her headd;
On the morning of the third day she
broughtt onlly a small lo)af of hread. There
were Iark circles under her eyes. She
seemdll as c.holi as ever.
"ley jingo," said Dicky, who seemed to
slpeak in English or Spanish as the whim
seized him, "this is dry iprovender, inhi/li-
chil . Is this the best you can dig up f'or a
fellow?"
I'asa looked at him as a mother looks at a
heloved but capricious hahe.
"Thiink hitter of it," she said, inl a low
voice; "since :for the next meal there will
Ie nothing. The last c ntro is spentt"
She prI',ssed closer against the grating.
"Hell the goods in the shop take any-
thin for them."
"llave I not tried? id I not offer them
for one-tenth their cost? Not even one ptsu
voihli any one give. There is not one reald in
this tii n t, sis t I )ik 'ee Ahillonee."
hick clemnched his cieth grimly. "That's
lthe c ini ilain e,'', e gro led. file'ss re-
s'ponsil e for that sentinot. Wait, oh, wait
till the c lrds are all out."
I'asa lowred her voice to almost a whis-
per. ".\And, listen, heart of my heart," she
said, "I have endeavored to he brave, but I
cannot live without thee. Three days now
Iicky caught a faint gleamn of steel from
the' ifls of h ,r mimntilla. For once she'
looked' in his; face and saw it without a
smile, stern, neacing and pur poseful. Then
he suddenly raised his handim and his smile
came hack like a gleam of sunshine . The
hoar'' signal of an iniOnti Jgr steamer'l s siren
sounded in fhe l: i',or. Dicky'' c ,sentry who was pacing before the door:
"What steamer comes?"
"The (,t,'ia ."
"(if the Vesuvius line?"
"Without doubt, of that line."
";o you, pi'cr i//," said Dicky, joyously
to l'asa, "to the American consul. Tell
him I wish to speak with him. See that
he comes at once. And you, let me see
a different look in those eyes, for I prom-
ise your head shall rest upon this arm to-
night."
It was an hour before the consul came.
lie was a spectacled young man, a greedy
botanist who was utilizing his office to study
the trol:ic flora. lie held a green umbrella
under his arl. , and lolpped his forehead im-
patiently.
"Now, see here, Maloney," he began,
cautiously, "you fellows seem to think you
can cut up any kind of row, and expect me
to pull you out of it. I'm neither tile War
I)epartment nor a gold mine. This country
has its laws, you know, and there's one
against pounding the senses out of the regu-
ar army. Youn Irish are forever getting
into trouble. I don't see what I can do.
Anything like tobacco, now, to make you
comfortable or newspapers -"
"Son of Eli," interru pted Dicky, gravely.
"you haven't changed an iota. That is al-
most a duplicate of the speech you made
when old Koen's donkeys and geese got into
the chapel loft, and the culprits wanted to
hide in your room."
")h, heavenss" exclaimed the consul,
hurriedly adjusting his spectacles. "Are
you a Yale man, too? Were you in that
crow ? I donll't seelll to remember any one
with red any one named Maloney. Stich a
lot of college men seem to have misused
their advantages. One of the best inathe-
niaticians of the class of '91 is selling lot-
tery tickets in Ielize. A (ornell iian
dropped off here last month. lie was second
steward on a unano hoat. 1'll writ. to the
Department if you like, Malone. Or if
there's any tobacco, or newsla -
"There's notliiiig, interrupted Iicky,
shortly, "but this. You go tell the Ipta;ii
of the 1'1n/inia that Dicky Maoly wxauts
to see' him as soon as he can conm ientil
enw. T I1 him where I am. Hurry. That"
all."
The consul, glad to be let off so easily,
hurried away. The captain of the (.,riir,.
a stout man, Sicilian born, soon a pcared,
shoving, with little ceremony, through the
n:nis to the jail door. 'lie \esuvi; lruitC -..~-- -I
me..mm......... .. . A
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Reference the current page of this Prose (Fiction).
Henry, O., 1862-1910. Rouge et Noire, prose (fiction), December 1901; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139393/m1/6/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.