tion. But should you thus at once effect the release of Don
Francisco, will he not oppose your designs relative to the condemnation
of Flora Francatelli by the inquisition?"

"Dr. Duras is well acquainted with the precise process," answered
Nisida; "and from him I learnt that the third examination of the
prisoners will take place to-morrow, when judgment will be pronounced
should no advocate appear to urge a feasible cause of delay."

"The arrests took place on the 3d of July," said Demetrius; "and Angelo
Duras undertook to obtain a postponement for three months. To-morrow,
lady, is but the 26th of September."

"True," responded Nisida; "but were a delay granted, it would be for
eight days--and thus you perceive how nicely Angelo Duras had weighed
all the intricacies of the case, and how accurately he had calculated
the length of the term to be gained by the exercise of the subtleties of
the inquisitorial law. Therefore, as no advocate will appear to demand
delay, Flora is certain to be condemned to-morrow night, and the release
of Francisco may take place simultaneously--for when once the grand
inquisitor shall have pronounced the extreme sentence, no human power
can reverse it. And now," added Nisida, "but one word more. The grand
vizier commanded you to dispatch a courier daily to Leghorn with full
particulars of all your proceedings; see that those accounts be of a
nature to lull the treacherous Ibrahim into security--for, were he to
learn that his aunt and sister are in dread peril, he would be capable
of marching at the head of all his troops to sack the city of Florence."

"Fear not on that subject, lady," answered Demetrius. "I will so amuse
the demon-hearted grand vizier by my dispatches, that he shall become
excited with joyous hopes--so that the blow--the dread blow which we are
preparing for him--may be the more terribly severe."

The Greek then rose to take his leave of Donna Nisida; and Wagner,
having closed the secret door as noiselessly as he had opened it,
hurried away from the Riverola mansion bewildered and grieved at all he
had heard--for he could no longer conceal from himself that a very fiend
was incarnate in the shape of her whom he had loved so madly.

Having tossed on a feverish couch for upward of an hour,--unable to
banish from his mind the cold blooded plot which Nisida and Demetrius
had resolved upon in order to consign Flora Francatelli and her equally
innocent aunt to the stake,--Wag