hs again passed without
affording the opportunity which I craved; yet I knew that the day must
come--and I could tutor myself to await its arrival, if not with
patience, at least with so much outward composure as to lull the
countess into belief of perfect security.

"Yes, weeks and months passed away, ay, and years, too, and still I
nursed my hopes and projects of vengeance, the craving for which
increased with the lapse of time.

"And now I come to the grand, the terrible, the main incident in this
narrative. It was late one night, in the month of January, 1510, Nisida
being then fifteen and thou, Francisco, nine, that Margaretha came to me
in my own apartment and informed me that she had seen the tall gallant
traverse the garden hastily and obtain admission into the countess'
chamber by means of the secret staircase. The hour for vengeance had at
length come. Margaretha was instantly dispatched to advise two bravoes
whose services I had long secured for the occasion, that the moment had
arrived when they were to do the work for which they had been so well
paid in advance, and by the faithful performance of which they would
still further enrich themselves. Within half an hour all the
arrangements were completed. Margaretha had retired to her own chamber
and the bravoes were concealed with me in the garden. Nor had we long to
wait. The private door opened shortly, and two persons appeared on the
threshold. The night was clear and beautiful, and from my hiding-place I
could discern the fondness of the embrace that marked their parting. And
they parted, too, never to meet again in this life!

"Vitangela closed the door--and her lover was passing rapidly along
amidst the trees in the garden, when a dagger suddenly drank his heart's
blood. That dagger was mine, and wielded by my hand! He fell without a
groan--dead, stone-dead at my feet. Half of my vengeance was now
accomplished; the other half was yet to be consummated. Without a
moment's unnecessary delay the corpse was conveyed to a cellar beneath
the northern wing of the mansion: and the two bravoes then hastened, to
Vitangela's chamber, into which they obtained admission by forcing the
door of the private staircase. In pursuance of the orders which they had
received from me, they bound and gagged her, and conveyed her through
the garden to the very cellar where, by the light of a gloomy lamp, she
beheld her husband standing close by a corpse!

"'Bring her near!' I