Suddenly out of the darkness appeared a figure--so suddenly
indeed as to startle her. Had this man been seen in ordinary daylight,
he would no doubt have looked nothing worse than a familiar type of the
fat black-a-vised Italian--not a very comely person, it is true, but not
in any way horrible--but now these dusky shadows lent something
ghoulish-looking to his bushy head and greasy face and sparkling black
eyes.
"What is the pleasure of the young lady?" he said, curtly.
Natalie had been startled.
"I wished to inquire--I wished to mention," she stammered, "one
Bartolotti."
But at the same time she was conscious of a strange sinking of the
heart. Was this the sort of creature who was expected to save the life
of her lover?--this the sort of man to pit against Ferdinand Lind? Poor
old Calabressa--she thought he meant well, but he boasted, he was
foolish.
This heavy-faced and heavy-bodied man in the dusk did not reply at once.
He turned aside, saying,
"Excuse me, signorina, it is dark here; they have neglected to light the
lamps as yet.
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