had flung himself, he exclaimed, "Nisida, my beloved Nisida, dry those
tears, subdue this frenzied grief! Let us say no more upon these
exciting topics this evening; but I will meditate, I will reflect upon
the morrow, and then I will communicate to thee the result of my
deliberations."

"Oh! there is then hope for me yet!" cried Nisida, joyfully; "and thou
hast the means to grant my wishes, but thou fearest to use them. We will
say no more this evening on subjects calculated to give so little
pleasure; but to-morrow, my Fernand, to-morrow."

And Nisida stopped her own utterance by pressing her lips to those of
Wagner, winding her beauteous arms most lovingly round his neck at the
same time, and pressing him to her bosom.

But that night and the ensuing morn were destined to wring the
heart-cords of the unhappy Fernand: for the influence of the demon,
though unknown and unrecognized, was dominant with Nisida.

CHAPTER LVI.

It was night--and Fernand was pacing the sand with even greater
agitation than he had manifested during the cruel scene of the evening.
He was alone on the seashore; and Nisida slept in the hut. Terrible
thoughts warred in the breast of Wagner. Nisida's language had
astonished and alarmed him: he was convinced that Satan himself had
inspired her with those ideas, the utterance of which had nearly goaded
him to madness. She had insisted on the belief that he was acquainted
with the means of enabling her to return to Italy; and yet Nisida was
not a mere girl--a silly, whimsical being, who would assert the wildest
physical impossibilities just as caprice might prompt her. No--she
really entertained that belief--but without having any ostensible
grounds to establish it.

"Such an impression could only have been made upon her mind by the fiend
who seeks to entangle me in his meshes!" murmured Wagner to himself, as
he paced the strand. "The demon has failed to tempt me as yet--thrice
has he failed;--and now he musters all his force to assail me,--to
assail me, too, in the most vulnerable points! But, O Heaven, give me
strength to resist the dread influence thus brought to bear upon me!
What course can I adopt? what plan pursue? If to-morrow must witness a
renewal of that scene which occurred this evening, I shall succumb--I
shall yield; in a moment of despair I shall exclaim, 'Yes, Nisida--I
will sacrifice everything to acquire the power to transport thee back to
Italy;'--and I shall hurry