r suspected that she was thy mistress;
although thou didst swear upon the cross, in thy dungeon, that she was
not. But so great was my love for thee, that I smothered the dread
suspicion----"

"Suspicion," repeated Wagner, in the penetrating tone of heart-rending
anguish,--an anguish so intense that his brain whirled, and he knew not
what he said or did. "Oh, wretched woman, and thou didst slay Agnes on a
mere suspicion?"

"I hated her--even before I entertained that suspicion," exclaimed
Nisida, impatiently; "for she was the mistress of my father! Thinkest
thou that my quick ears had not gleaned the mysterious whisperings which
frequently passed between my sire and his valet Antonio, relative to the
lady who dwelt in seclusion at the abode of that menial's mother? or
thinkest thou that when I once obtained a clew to my father's degrading
passion, I scrupled to watch him, to follow him, to learn all his
proceedings? No; for it was the more easily to enact the spy upon my own
father that originally simulated the doom of the deaf and dumb. A purse
of gold induced Dame Margaretha, Antonio's mother, to give me admission
into her house; though she also believed that I was really deprived of
the faculties of hearing and of speech. But often and often was I
concealed in the chamber adjacent to that where my father passed hours
with his mistress; and it was not without advantage that I so acted. For
I discovered that amongst the presents which he had given her, were the
jewels which had belonged to my sainted mother--that mother whose wrongs
were so manifold, and whose sufferings were so great. Yes: and I
possessed myself of those jewels, leaving the girl the other gifts which
she had received from my sire.

"And now, since I am involved in relations of such import, I shall do
well to inform thee, Fernand, that I had seen and loved thee before thou
didst come as a visitor to our mansion in Florence. For it was my habit
to proceed occasionally to the dwelling of the good Dr. Duras, the
depositary of my grand secret of the feigned loss of faculties; and
while wandering alone in his garden I once beheld thee! And the moment I
beheld I loved thee. Often--often after that would I visit the kind
physician's grounds, whereof I possessed a pass-key; and my admiration
of thee led me to pass the slight boundary which separated his garden
from thine. Then I would approach the windows of thy dwelling and
contemplate thee as thou wast se