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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti, by David Christie Murray This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Romance Of Giovanni Calvotti From Coals Of Fire And Other Stories, Volume II. (of III.) Author: David Christie Murray Release Date: August 1, 2007 [EBook #22207] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF GIOVANNI CALVOTTI *** Produced by David Widger THE ROMANCE OF GIOVANNI CALVOTTI. By David Christie Murray From Coals Of Fire And Other Stories By David Christie Murray In Three Volumes Vol. II. Chatto & Windus, Piccadilly 1882 CHAPTER I.--IN THE ATTIC. I live in an attic. I am in the immediate neighbourhood of a great tavern and a famous place of amusement. The thoroughfare on which I can look whilst I sit at my window is noisy with perpetual traffic. In the midst of London I am more of a hermit than is that pretentious humbug who waves his flag at passing steamers from his rock in the AEgean. I am not a hermit from any choice of mine, or from any dislike of men and women. I am not a hermit because of any dislike which men and women may entertain for me. In my time I have been popular, and have had many friends. If I could find it in my heart at this moment to face some one of those friends, the necessity for a continued hermitage might pass. If I could find it in my heart to write to one of them I might close this lonely vigil to-morrow. Let me confess the truth. I am ashamed of myself, and I can appeal to nobody for assistance. I have gamed away the whole of my substance, and I am a broken man. It would be possible to do something better for myself if I could venture into the streets. But my sole possessions in the way of outer clothing are one pair of too-ancient trousers, one pair of tattered slippers, one fez, and one poor old dressing-gown. My estimable Uncle round the corner has the rest. Perhaps I am less a hermit than a prisoner--a prisoner over whom that sternest of janitors, Poverty, holds the key. I am a little proud of my English, and I do not think you can have yet discovered from my style of expression that I am not a native of this
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