| Show y T THE KING K u W ARGRA VE I I Copyright 1924 by Alfred AIfred A. A Knopf Inc B S FLETCHER S. S By y J. J J Published January 1924 Second printing February 1974 v p Continued from yesterday esterday Amidst the slight murmur which this admission arouses Mr lr Chrisenbury Chrisenbury Chrisenbury bury whispers to Mr Kenrick Mr Kenrick responds And Mr Chrisenbury Chrisenbury Chris Chris- now looks rather more at ease and his ma manner ner becomes more confident Then you would naturally be fa familiar familiar Ia- Ia with Lucien dl di Spada's se secrets secrets secrets se- se crets if he had any Did he give you his full confidence 7 He caused me to think that he did Mr Chrisenbury pauses He seems to be considering grave matters When he looks at his witness again his manner is persuasive p and in In- In Now will you act on your lordships lordship's lordships lordship's lordships lordship's lord lord- ships ship's suggestion and tell us plainly plain plain- ly what you jou OU know of this affair You have admitted that you know I something about the murder of Marco Graffi Do you I 1 believe I know lenow ever everything thing about it and It-and and about the mur murder er or orthe orthe orthe the man called Carlo Cafferata in Soho also There is no repressing the murmur murmur murmur mur mur- mur no keeping down the thrill which follows this But his lordships lordship's lordships lordship's lordships lordship's lord lord- ships ship's voice is heard plainly as he turns to the witness in Ia own wn Tell our jour s fry pry your way The he nun braces herself Her v lc ice trembles But the silence in incourt incourt incourt court is so deep that everything she says is clearly heard In the far farthest hest corners It was wa's after I had been eighteen months in London that I 1 came to know lenow the Graffis I became becam very fond of Gemma She was unhappy wished to return to Italy she disliked disliked dis- dis disliked dis dis- liked London I 1 too wished to leave London I found that Lucien was not not not-not not what I had believed him to be And Gemma and I began to plan our escape She was not aware of my relationship to Lucien She Shedid Shedid Shedid did not even know v that we were cousins I had some light work In Soho She believed that I supported myself Our idea was to escape to the Continent and to earn our living livIng living liv liv- ing by singing We Ve both possessed go good d voices vokes We Ve used to meet and talk It over One day a day or two I think before the big fog Lucien dl di Spada came caine to me In a state of great ex ex- ex Before he would tell me anything he reminded me that ne he Stefano and myself were the last of the Dl Di and he forced forced me me meto to swear on the crucifix that I would not divulge what he was wa'S gOIng goIng go- go Ing lag to tell me and that I would am ata him and Stefano as a n Di Spada like themselves In what must be done He had such power over me that I 1 took the oath Then h he told me th that t the he had discovered that the real name of or Marco Graffi and his granddaughter was not b bt it Cafferata that they came from CorIca that a relation of theirs another Cafferata Carlo a law student student student stu stu- dent was in London that between the Di Dl and the there was a blood feud a ve vendetta vedetta detta and that he and Stefano Stetano must avenge the family honor They meant to go to the flat at night and to Lo kill Signer Marco and Gemma J I I the relation Carlo they intended to lure to some quiet place I I knew that it was useless to plead for Gemma for Lucien was a atrue atrue true Corsican About the two men menI I did not care then then for for they were the enemies or the descendants of or enemies of my family But I made up my mind to break my oath and to save Gemma I found out from Lucien when the fatal tatal night was to tobe tobe be it be-it It lt was that night of or the tile great fog I arranged the last details for our escape then I contrived to get into the flat at Austerlitz Mansions 1 I was as a matter of fact hidden in Gemma's room when she and her grandfather and Mr Graye came in And as soon as she came to her herro ro room ro m I 1 told her of my saying nothing of course of Lucien As I soon as s the place was quiet we slipped out and went to the house houle of a friend There We adopted a I disguise and so off to the Conti Copti- nent net We Ve went from place to place earning our own living until Gem Gem- 9 ma met Sir Robert Wargrave and married him And then when then when I had saved more money money which I wished to devote to the order I had long thought of joining I left the world The nun nun paused looked timidly around her her and bow bowed d' d her head to the the- judge That Is all she said sald There are certain juries whose members are not slow In making up their minds as to o. o the merits or ora ora ora a case And Ottilia Morro had Morro-had had not long vanished from the eyes of the excited folk In court before tl the no noless noless noless less excited people outside heard that Lady had been found not guilty and sa saw her away aay westward in company with Adrian Gra Graye e. e S The End lEnd I Copyright 1924 1 by I Alfred A. A S Knapp Inc All rights r reserved s Printed by arrangement with Metropolitan Newspaper per Service Selvi e New ew York York |
