"For some time after I left Italy I neither saw nor heard of him. When, however, I was told of the tragedy, I admit that I felt convinced that the colonel had fallen by your hand, for I knew you were desperate that night, and knew also that you frequently carried a revolver. It was the horrible suspicion of your guilt that prevented me from returning or communicating with you. Nevertheless, a year ago, while I was living in London, this man, who had followed me, recommenced his hateful attentions. His actions throughout were _belle parole e cattivi fatti_.
Apparently he refrained from denouncing you because he believed he would eventually prevail upon me to marry him. For six months he shadowed me, and I humoured him until at last I again lost sight of him.
One night, while still in London, I received a telegram stating that he had met with an accident, that he was dying, and that he must see me. I went, and found him in a wretched, squalid garret in a gloomy quarter they call Saffron Hill. It was there, before he died, that he made, in the presence of a notary I called in, the confession which I sent to the President of the a.s.size Court to-day. In an English newspaper I read the grave charge made against you, and hastened here without losing a moment."
"You have not explained," I said quickly. "You have not told me the name of my unknown rival."
"He was your friend. _His name was Pietro Barolini_!"
"Pietro!" I gasped. "Why, I considered him my warmest friend. But what of your husband? Where is he?"
"Ah, I deceived you, Gasparo!" she said, laying her hand upon my arm.
"I knew you would allow me to go in peace if you believed my husband still lived, therefore I practised a ruse upon you. The man from whom you hid was my father, to whose exertions the elucidation of the mystery is in a great measure due. He has returned with me to the Villa, and I will introduce you to him this evening."
"Then the Count is not living?"
"No, Gasparo," Santina whispered softly. "He died in Buenos Ayres, as you are aware, six months after our marriage. There is no barrier now between us; the grim shadow that darkened my life has pa.s.sed away, and we are free--free to love each other, and to marry."
CHAPTER SIX.
THE WOMAN WITH A BLEMISH.
The weird prologue of the drama was enacted some years ago, yet time, alas! does not obliterate it from my memory.
To the hail of bullets, the whistling of sh.e.l.ls, the fitful flash of powder, and the thunder of guns I had grown callous. During the months I had been in Servia and Bulgaria watching and describing the terrible struggle between Turkey and Russia, I had grown world-weary, careless of everything, even of life. I had been present at the relief of Kars, had witnessed the wholesale slaughter in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, and was now attached to the Russian forces bombarding Plevna.
Those who have never experienced actual warfare cannot imagine how terrible are the horrors of life at the front.
Picture for a moment a great mult.i.tude of men whose sole occupation is slaughter--some with smoke-blackened faces toiling in the earthworks, discharging their heavy field-pieces which day and night dispatch their death-dealing missiles into the shattered town yonder, while hordes of Cossacks and Russian grenadiers engage the enemy at every point; the rattle of musketry and artillery is deafening, the rain of bullets incessant, and on every side is suffering and death. And you are a war-correspondent, a spectator, a non-combatant! You have travelled across Europe to witness this frightful carnage, and paint word-pictures of it for the folk at home. At any moment a stray bullet might end your existence; nevertheless, you must not be fatigued, for after the toil of the day your work commences, and you must find a quiet corner where you can write a column of description for transmission to Fleet Street.
Such were the circ.u.mstances in which I was placed when, after a six months" absence from England, I found myself before Plevna. The brief December day was drawing to a close as I stood, revolver in hand, near one of the great guns that at regular intervals thundered forth in chorus with the others. I was in conversation with Captain Alexandrovitch, a smart young officer with whom I was on very friendly terms, and we were watching through our field-gla.s.ses the effect of our fire upon the town.
"Now my lads," the captain shouted in Russian, to the men working the gun. "Let us test our accuracy. See! one of Osman"s officers has just appeared on the small redoubt yonder to encourage his men. There is a good target. See!"
Scarcely had he spoken when the men sprang back, the great gun belched forth flame, and the sh.e.l.l, striking the enemy"s fortification, took part of it away, blowing the unfortunate Turkish officer into fragments.
Such are the fortunes of war!
"Good!" exclaimed Alexandrovitch, laughing; as, turning to me, he added, "If we continue like this, we shall silence the redoubts before to-morrow. How suicidal of Osman Pasha to imagine his handful of lean, hungry dogs capable of defence against the army of the Great White Tzar.
Bah! We shall--"
The sentence was left unfinished, for a bullet whistled close to me, and a second later he threw up his hands, and, uttering a loud cry of pain, staggered and fell, severely wounded in the side.
Our ambulance and medical staff was on that day very disorganised, so, instead of conveying him to the field hospital, they carried him into my tent, close by.
Night fell, and for hours I knelt beside him, trying to alleviate his agony. The surgeon had dressed the wound, and the officer lay writhing and groaning, while by the meagre light of an evil-smelling oil-lamp I scribbled my dispatch. At last the wounded man became quieter, and presently slept; while I, jaded and worn, wrapped my blanket about me, placed my revolver under my saddle, and lay down to s.n.a.t.c.h an hour"s repose.
How long I slept I scarcely know; but I was awakened by a strange rustling.
The flap of the tent was open, and I saw against the faint grey glimmering of the wintry morning"s struggling dawn a figure stealthily bending over the wounded man who lay asleep at my side.
The intruder wore the heavy greatcoat and round cap of a Cossack officer, and was evidently searching my comrade"s pockets.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I cried in Russian, clutching my revolver.
The man started, withdrew his hand, and stood upright, looking down upon me. For a moment I fixed my eyes upon the statuesque figure, and gazed at him amazed. I am not by any means a nervous man, but there was something weird about the fellow"s appearance.
Whether it was due to the suddenness with which I had discovered him, or whether some peculiar phenomenon was caused by his presence, I was unable to determine.
I remember asking myself if I were really awake, and becoming convinced that I was in possession of all my faculties.
"Speak!" I said sternly. "Speak--or I"ll fire!"
Raising the weapon, I waited for a moment.
The figure remained motionless, facing the muzzle of the pistol unflinchingly.
Again I repeated my challenge. There was, however, no reply.
I pulled the trigger.
In the momentary flash that followed I caught a glimpse of the face of the intruder. It was that of a woman!
She was young and beautiful. Her parted lips revealed an even row of tightly-clenched teeth, her dark eyes had a look of unutterable horror in them, and her cheeks were deathly pale.
It was the most lovely face I had ever gazed upon.
Its beauty was perfect, yet there was something about the forehead that struck me as peculiar.
The thick dark hair was brushed back severely, and high up, almost in the centre of the white brow, was a curious mark, which, in the rapid flash of light, appeared to be a small but _perfectly-defined bluish-grey ring_!
As I fired, the arm of the mysterious visitor was raised as if to ward off a blow, and in the hand I saw the gleam of steel.
The slender fingers were grasping a murderous weapon--a long, keen surgeon"s knife, the blade of which was besmeared with blood.
Was I dreaming? I again asked myself. No, it was not a visionary illusion, for I saw it plainly with my eyes wide-open.
So great a fascination did this strange visitant possess over me, that I had been suddenly overcome by a terrible dread that had deprived me of the power of speech. My tongue clave to the roof of my mouth.
I felt more than ever convinced that there must be something supernatural about the silent masquerader.
In the dim light the puff of grey smoke from the revolver slowly curled before my eyes, hiding for a few seconds the singularly-beautiful countenance.
When, however, a moment later, the veil had cleared, I was amazed to discover that the figure had vanished.
My hand had been unsteady.
Grasping my revolver firmly, I sprang to my feet and rushed out of the tent. While gazing quickly around, a Cossack sentry, whose attention had been attracted by the shot, ran towards me.
"Has a woman pa.s.sed you?" I asked excitedly, in the best Russian I could muster.