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Hichens, Robert Smythe, 1864-1950

"A Spirit in Prison"

"
"The Signorina?"
He shook his head.
"She is in the garden. She has been there all the time. She does not
know"--he lowered his voice almost to a whisper--"she does not know
about the Signora and the /fattura della morte/."
"We must not let her know--"
He stopped. Suddenly his ears seemed full of the sound of splashing
oars in water. Yet he heard nothing.
"Gaspare," he said quickly, "have you looked everywhere for the
Signora?"
"I have looked in the house, Signore. I have been on the terrace and
to the Signorina in the garden. Then I came to tell you. I thought you
should know about the Signora and the /fattura della morte/."
Artois felt that it was this fact of the disappearance of the death-
charm which for the moment paralyzed Gaspare's activities. What
stirring of ancient superstition was in the Sicilian's heart he did
not know, but he knew that now his own time of action was come. No
longer could he delegate to others the necessary deed. And with this
knowledge his nature seemed to change.


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