A Matter of Millions(1891)

Anna Katharine Green

Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI. A SURPRISE. To the sound of a scream from the signorina's lips, young Degraw turned. Before him, in the doorway I have mentioned, he saw standing the slight, dark and unprepossessing figure of a man so evidently Italian in his appearance and bearing, that it did not need the hurried bound and startled exclamation of the Portuguese for him to recognize in this menacing intruder the Signor Montelli. "So, so, we are to wind up with a scene," thought he; and instinctively stepped between this stranger and the shrinking figure of the signorina. But the precaution seemed needless. At the first words uttered by the Portuguese, the Italian broke into a harsh laugh, and drawing the old crone after him, left the room and shut the door behind him. Mr. Degraw, surprised by this sudden departure, stood staring, while the signorina trembled so that she seemed in danger of falling. "It is very strange," quoth the former, "He did not seem to notice that the couch was empty and that you stood living and breathing before him. The Portuguese cannot be as true to you as you thought. She must have told him that you would wake—" " Oh ! oh ! hush !" broke from the young girl's lips, as the door opened again and the old woman stepped in. " I am so bewildered, I do not know what to make of all this." And leaving him, she advanced toward the crone, who met her with a look that added to his surprise and her perplexity. A short interchange of words followed, and then the old woman drew back and the signorina turned. But with what a different air and with what a different look. Young Degraw would hardly have known h...