The
Duke's attention having been called to him as a lad of parts, his
Highness had given him to the Marquess of Cerveno, in whose service he
remained till shortly before that young nobleman's death. The hunchback
passed hastily over this period; but his reticence was lit by the angry
flash of his eyes. After the Marquess's death he had lived for a while
from hand to mouth, copying music, writing poetry for weddings and
funerals, doing pen-and-ink portraits at a scudo apiece, and putting his
hand to any honest job that came his way. Count Trescorre, who now and
then showed a fitful recognition of the tie that was supposed to connect
them, at length heard of the case to which he was come and offered him a
trifling pension. This the hunchback refused, asking instead to be given
some fixed employment. Trescorre then obtained his appointment as
assistant to the Duke's librarian, a good old priest engrossed in
compiling the early history of Pianura from the ducal archives; and this
post Gamba had now filled for two years.
"It must," said Odo, "be one singularly congenial to you, if, as I have
heard, you are of a studious habit. Though I suppose," he tentatively
added, "the library is not likely to be rich in works of the new
scientific and philosophic schools."
His companion received this observation in silence; and after a moment
Odo continued: "I have a motive in asking, since I have been somewhat
deeply engaged in the study of these writers, and my dearest wish is to
continue while in Pianura my examination of their theories, and if
possible to become acquainted with any who share their views.
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