Once a Week (magazine)/Series 1/Volume 10/The veiled portrait
Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/225 Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/226 Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/227 Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/228 title by setting themselves vigorously to work to improve the moral and social condition of the working man, than by adding envy and discontent to his other self-inflicted miseries.
But we are now in a large yard full of railway wheels of every variety of form and size.
"And how many of these do you turn out weekly?" I ask.
"When in full work, about a thousand pairs, and we send them to all parts of the world too. These are for the Madrid and Alicante, and these for Valparaiso; these are for Italy, and these again for India. That set of wheels is part of an order for a Russian railway, and as you will observe, though only intended for the trucks used in making the line, they are of wrought iron, and equal to many that are used in ordinary traffic. That," pointing to a wheel which, for elegance of finish as well as strength, might rival anything in Long Acre, is a specimen of a consignment for Rotterdam. The Dutch are very particular about their railways, and when I sent these wheels over they were on the point of condemning them as cast-iron impositions," adding, with justifiable pride, "they had never seen anything like them in the way of wrought iron before."
This brings us buck to our starting-point; so I thank my conductor for his kind attention, and take my departure. As I turn my back on the big chimneys, I cannot help entertaining a higher idea of manufacturing talent and energy. How many different nationalities are at this moment travelling on these same wheels! Railways are rapidly penetrating where railways ten years ago would have been thought the wildest dream. The steam-horse is startling the tiger and the elephant in the jungles and swamps of furthest India, as it may soon be startling the gorilla in inmost Africa. Surely, the fact of the energy and ability of one man contributing so largely to the comfort and security of the travelling portion of the human race, may invest with dignity and interest even so apparently simple an object as a railway wheel. Ixion.
BEPPO, THE CONSCRIPT.
CHAPTER XXIV. GIULIA'S NIGHT JOURNEY.
walked down the well-known path to Bella Luce; she passed the half-way tree in perfect safety,—for there was no Beppo in the path to stop her passage now!—and slunk up stairs into her little chamber, undressedherself and got into bed; and the next morning, not having closed an eye during the intervening hours, she rose at the usual time, and set about her wonted work. But her mind rendered no account to itself of her occupation in all these things. She was only conscious of moving to and fro under such an overwhelming pressure of calamity and grief as seemed to have stunned her. She had betrayed Beppo to his enemies, and had done so under circumstances which must lead him to attribute her conduct to motives that it was agony to her to contemplate. Death appeared to her to be the only possible escape from a situation too dreadful to be borne. And, oh! how happily, how gratefully would she have closed her eyes with the knowledge that she should never open them more. If only Beppo could have been made to know that she had died to make it evident to him that he had been everything to her, and Corporal Tenda nothing, with what joy and gladness would she have met death!
But for all this it never entered into her head to commit suicide. With a quarter of the strength of despair and amount of motive to actuate her, a French girl would have taken her pan of charcoal as naturally and unhesitatingly as an Italian girl kneels to the Madonna! Under a less amount of misery many an English girl has taken the fatal leap from the bridge parapet into the darksome pool below! And yet the mind of the English girl has been used to dwell on thoughts of the invisible, on fears and awful doubts respecting that unknown world, to which she rushes in her hopelessness, which have never been present to the mind of the Italian. And it was not high religious principle, or even overpowering religious fear, that prevented Giulia from turning her thoughts towards suicide. She was religiously ignorant to a degree scarcely credible to those most acquainted with our own uneducated classes. And though her church deems self-murder as one, at least, of the most irremediable of sins, she had received no teaching upon that subject. And in truth an Italian pastor might be excused for thinking that to preach against suicide was not one of the most parts of his duty. No! It was not religious principle which prevented Giulia from turning her thoughts towards that most desperate of all remedies for human sorrows. It was because it was not in her nature to do ONCE A WEEK.
be said that jg ki
- irely
her
among
the pos-
commit
suicide.
Of the
be fields, it so
may
probably Such a case So true it is that id ich matters is ruled more
thi
>
.
!
!
,
icy
and the natural
idio-
than by any other order of syncrasies of race, espial raa the morning after the unfortunate at Santa Lucia, expedition to the old tower, clock in the forenoon ; the farmer I
and his son wave in the fields, and la padrona was engaged in household affairs, up-stairs. Giulia was busy in the kitchen, mechanically of little going through her accustomed round
when Corporal Tenda came into the It was the first time that Giulia and room. been alone together since he had been For it had been the object of at Bella Luce. of them to avoid such meetings. .
I
u will excuse me, I hope, for intruding on you, Signora," said the Corporal, saluting ry gravely, and with the same military h of the arm that he would have used to
" the Colonel of the regiment ; you will do me the justice to admit, that since I have been have not yielded to the temptation of og with you." >u have been very kind, Signor Capo-
I
said Giulia, sighing deeply, is
thing
me
against
" Pardon me ermit
me
|
"but
every-
"
and now
!
you the on learning that the .ess I had been presumptuous enough to is out of my reach. He made you that your happiness is the consideration I have in the world and villi,
of
my
I believe, explained to
feelings
.
first
that OSD be
promoted only fare of your cousin, then ur cousin becomes a matter of to me." 1
gratefol to
you
Caporale, "
I
ue
for again
inter-
i
id
will
iy,
1
my
pn
for the welfare
- }'
.v
the
•••ii»
no way of avoiding absolute ruin and de-
is
Even if struction except timely submission. he could hope permanently to elude the pursuit of the troops and the police, what sort of a
life is
that of a bandit
—and
for such a
man
Be sure, therefore, that Signor Beppo the chance which has led to the certainty of r his capture, w hen he comes up to the tower yonder, is the best thing that could happen to Not the best thing, however for the him. best thing would be that he should surrender as
!
!
and I had hoped that you might
" possibly have induced him to do so " But I intended to I try hard to do so voluntarily
!
!
did write to him, Signor Caporale, begging him I should have said all I could to come back. everything I could think of to make him come Oh Signor in, when I saw him at the tower. Caporale, why not let me try ? Why not let me meet him," said Giulia, clasping her hands, as a sudden ray of hope darted into her mind ; " why not let me meet him alone, and try to " persuade him ? " It would be against orders, against duty, I would not do it to save my neck Signora But I am not sure not from the halter. sure," he added, looking into her tearful eyes, " that I should not do it to merit your grati!
—
!
had been possible Happily for me, not possible. You forget, Signora, that it was not I who discovered the secret of your appointment with Signor Beppo, but two of my men. Even if I were to be willing to commit this breach of duty, I could not for the men know, as well as I, that it is our duty to take the defaulter at all hazards, and by every means. Signor Beppo must be taken on Sunday tude
if it
!
is
—
busithere is no help for it.
ness was only to point out for your consolation that it is in truth the best thing that could
evening
My
happen to him and just to say that you may depend on me to make it clear to him, that his capture is not due to any betrayal of him
in
condescend to shall the sooner
yon of J
am
lot
but
There is a are posted all over the country. copy on the door of the Court-house up at It is perfectly clear, that there Santa Lucia.
it
for interrupting you, Signora to say a few words to you.
[Feb. 13, 1864.
that
any way." " Beppo will never, never, believe it he " but there was some thinks feeling at Giulia's heart, sore and bleeding as it was, that prevented her from going on to demonstrate what it was that Beppo thought which would make him proof against the Corporal's elo;
quence. r.
hs*| any donbtl
" said hope he will be more reasonable And now, Signora, 1 must little thought when I last did so that should see you again here, and under such circumstances. I shall not intrude Upon your privacy again and besides, you are 11
1
!
" the Corporal. bid you farewell. Dp<»n
the
subject II
any the
1
I
- Fbb.
i
ONCE A WEEK.
.
aware, of course, that the capture of your cousin puts an end to oar unwelcome stay It will be our duty to inarch with him at onco that same evening to F&no. May the time
pome,
Signora,
when
ire
may meet
uml'T happier ciroum " Addio, Signor Caporale " to you for much kindness
hex
>ora
I
!
am
" !
grateful
!
" said the CorFarewell, Signora Giulia the kitchen. of in the act leaving poral, "Oh, Signor Caporale!" said Giulia, sud-
"
!
"
will anything very denly calling after him bad be done to Beppo for going away?" " They don't want to be severe Oh, no.
with the men. They know, between ourselves, Signora," he continued, dropping his voice as he spoke, with the true Italian feeling that he was approaching a dangerous subject, " they
know
that
it is
the priests that are really to
blame more than the poor fellows who take to the hills. Only No, they won't do much. let him buckle-to with a good will, and make a good soldier, and all will soon be forgotten, and he will be made a corporal in no time. And you won't like him any the worse when he comes back a smart soldier, Signora Giulia," said the Corporal, with a somewhat rueful smile
" I shall tell him that, Signora Good-bye " No, no, you must not tell him that
"
—
!
!
at
not from me " said Giulia, very eagerly And it but the Corporal was already gone. may be doubted whether she was very anxious to prevent the little man from using any means that such a consideration might supply towards least
reconciling
!
Beppo
to his fate,
—
if it
must
in-
deed come to be his fate. But there were yet two nights and two days before that fate was to be consummated in the manner Corporal Tenda and his men contemIt was a Friday on which the above plated. conversation had taken place. There was, the Friday night, all the day of Saturday, the Saturday night, and the whole of the day on Sunday, before the time fixed for his coming to the tryste at the old tower. And during all this time Giulia had to meditate upon the coming catastrophe It was in vain that she persuaded herself of the truth of the Corporal's representation, that to be
therefore,
!
223
of the feeling with which Beppo, like the army. i
all his
Then
again, she put very little faith in the good result of any of those promised representations of the Corporal, to t! hat the capture
was effected by no fault or participation <-;' She knew well whaon the subject would be. She was too well aware how all that he had Men in Fano would
hers.
appear to his mind to be confirmation as
Holy Writ
of
all
his
d
pictured to herself the bitter scorn with which he would listen to assurances which, to him,
would have the effect of hi her and her lover, for the purpose of She saw blinding and making a fool of him. but too clearly how the circumstances of the matter must appear to him, how they would carry with them all the weight and authority
- i
of indubitable
facts,
while
the
explanations
which were to follow them would come halting after with the weakness of mere excuses. And bearing in mind, too, Beppo's natural feeling towards the person who was to be the bearer of those excuses, she dared not flatter herself In short, that any good could come of them.
by the time she had spent most part of the
—
—
in the Friday night, that is ensuing night meditating on the matter in the silence of the night hours, the result was, that any good effect which the representations of the Corporal might have had on her mind at the moment
was altogether
obliterated.
And
during the whole of that day, the Saturday, the hourly drawing near of the consummation which was for evermore to brand her as false beyond all precedent falseness infamous beyond all imagined infamy, was never for a moment absent from her mind. But by the time the Ave Maria had come, she had determined on a course of action. It was very doubtful whether the effort she purposed making would be of any avail but at least, her intention involved self-sacrifice and action, with however desperate a hope,
—
was preferable to hopeless agonised waiting
in
inaction for the catastrophe.
The night came. The farmer and Carlo came home to their supper but there were
captured and taken off by force to serve his time in the army was all for his advantage. Giulia, if not altogether imbued herself with the genuine coutadino horror for the service, for her views and feelings had been a good deal modified and enlarged in this respect by her residence in the city, and by her associa-
only three of the soldiers to sup with them. Giulia had not seen the Corporal since her conversation with him in the morning. And now he and one of the men were absent at the But there was nothing unusual supper- time. in this. Two, or more, of the party were often absent, sometimes all night, patrolling the
tion there with military men, and by the conversations which she had sometimes taken part in, but had oftoner listened to ; nevertheless,
in obedience to information furnished
was quite contadina enough to be well aware
in
—
—
neighbourhood, or marching hither and thither
them
—
in all probability intentionally false information
the majority of cases—of the whereabout of