1826.) The Cup of Honours. 393 
eye to Malatesta’s, which he found fixed on him with a strange intense- 
ae Under his dark brows it looked like a fire-ball from the skirt of a 
ng It will be disingenuous, nay, may be thought dishonourable in me, 
o all men, to turn his accuser.’—He hesitated. “ Besides, I have no 
proof,” said the Italian. 
«Proof! folly. Suspicion is enough where the public purse is con- 
cerned. The fellow is too cunning to leave proofs to be picked up in 
the streets against him. I take an interest in you. You have been 
atrociously treated in this business. Leave it to me to find proofs. In 
the mean time, all you will have to do will be to write a note—anony- 
mous, if you like—to the Minister, warning him of the rascal he has to 
deal with. Leave the rest to me, and now fora health to his successor.” 
The cup was filled again 
* % 
* * * 
* * * * * * 
Five years after, the Italian was sitting at twilight in his cabinet, 
surrounded by books and papers, when he heard a low knock at the 
door, and a stranger entered, who seated himself, and addressed him 
by his name. He was altogether unconscious of the acquaintance. 
* Do you forget your old friend Malatesta?” said the stranger. . } 
_ “You Malatesta! impossible. I had certain intelligence of his being 
taken up by the Inquisition and dying in his dungeon. Besides, friend, 
you are at least fifty years older; he was in the prime of life, but 
Ou. ‘ ” / . 
a I am what I say, and I am not what I look. Five years of hard 
weather and tossing about in the world, sometimes half starving, and 
sometimes half burned to death under a tropical sun, would be enough 
to make some alteration in a man’s outside. Why, I don’t think that 
even you look much the better for your staying at home ; you don’t 
seem to have recovered that night on the Solfatara yet.” 
The Italian started at the name. It let him at once into the full con= 
viction that the decrepit being before him was the boatman. . But how 
changed! His black and curling hair was thin and white as snow; his: 
florid. complexion was jaundiced and wrinkled; he walked with extreme 
difficulty ; the athletic limb was shrunk, the whole noble figure was 
dwindled and diminished into that of one on the very verge of the grave. 
_ © Accursed be the memory of that night,” exclaimed the [talian : 
“ better I had died. From that moment I have been a miserable 
man. 
“ But you got the deputy-treasurership, and have it still, I think ?” 
« Aye: that letter, that you persuaded me to write-in drink and 
madness, did the business. I was never asked for proofs: but I might 
as well have stabbed him at once—the suspicion was enough—he was: 
turned out of his office, and in despair— ; 
“ Went up the Solfatara,” said Malatesta, with a low laugh. y 
The Italian shuddered, and, with his eyes cast on the ground, said, 
< he unfortunate, man, died, by his own hand,,even-in this very room.” 
There was si ence for a while; he then resumed :, “ you may have heard.’ 
the rest—or if not—the place was given, to me without any solicitation.: 
eer aie shrank from what, I must look on as. the price of blood ; but. 
rd: 
would have been suspicious and fatal. I soon after married. The 
ee of my new situation were considerable... I launched. out 
.M. New Series.—Vouw. Il. No. 9. 3E 
