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Corelli, Marie, 1855-1924

"The Master-Christian"

Yes,
I love the world!--but the world does not love me."
He spoke in a tone of gentle pathos, with the resigned and patient
air of one who feels the burden of solitude and the sense of
miscomprehension. And closing the Testament he held he rested his
clasped hands upon it, and for a moment seemed lost in sorrowful
reverie.
"I love you," said the Cardinal tenderly, "And I will take care of
you as well as I can."
Manuel looked up at him.
"And that will be well indeed, my lord Cardinal!" he said softly,
"And you serve a Master who will hereafter say to you, remembering
your goodness,--'Verily, in asmuch as ye have done it unto the least
of my brethren ye have done it unto Me.'"
He smiled; and the Cardinal meeting his glance wondered whether it
was the strong level light of the sinking sun through the window-
pane that made such a glory shine upon his face, and gave such a
brilliancy to his deep and steadfast eyes.


XI.
Meanwhile, Angela Sovrani was detained in her studio by the
fascinating company and bewildering chatter of a charming and very
well-known personage in Europe,--a dainty, exquisitely dressed piece
of femininity with the figure of a sylph and the complexion of a
Romney "Lady Hamilton,"--the Comtesse Sylvie Hermenstein, an Austro-
Hungarian of the prettiest and most bewitching type, who being a
thorough bohemienne in spirit, and having a large fortune at her
disposal, travelled everywhere, saw everything, and spent great sums
of money not only in amusing herself, but in doing good wherever she
went.


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