Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 Excerpt:...said brightly--"Never mind, Judith, it will be all right. Don't you worry about me." I thought he had found some way out of his difficulties, and I left him with Marthe, feeling less uneasy. The next morning I heard some one drumming on my door. It was Dr. Pietra Santa, the medical attendant of the Bacciochi family. "Camerata is dead," he said. "What!" I cried. "He shot himself last night." "Oh, the scoundrels! The scoundrels!" I exclaimed. "Juggling with millions as they do they have let that poor boy kill himself for want of 200,000 francs. And they think they will escape blame in the matter! A fine challenge they have given to public opinion." I hastened to go and see Marthe, and through her sobs she said to me--"Oh, you don't know how dreadful it is, I wanted to go and see him again and they would not let me in. I burst out crying and they dragged me down to a carriage and brought me back here by force. And that is not all. Prince Napoleon has just left me. He wanted me to give him all Camerata's letters. I refused. I told him I would willingly give back all the jewels my lover had given me. I took off my ear-rings and my rings and offered them to him in the palm of my hand--I was mad--and he pushed my hand away." "' No, no,' he said, ' it is the letters I want.' "' The letters are mine. I value them more than my life. They are the dearest remembrances I have of my loved one.' "' Reasons of State require you to give them up. They might compromise the Bonaparte family. I must have them; and if you don't give them to me the police shall come and take them by force.' "I still refused, and he went away." Then Marthe's sobs broke out afresh, and I offered to take t...