ith luminous distinctness those white mysterious milestones of the
Campo Santo which mark where the journeys of men, women, and children
began and where they left off, but never explain in what new direction
they are now traveling. My wife saw and stopped, trembling violently.

"What place is this?" she asked, nervously.

In all her life she had never visited a cemetery--she had too great a
horror of death.

"It is where I keep all my treasures," I answered, and my voice sounded
strange and harsh in my own ears, while I tightened my grasp of her
full, warm waist. "Come with me, my beloved!" and in spite of my
efforts, my tone was one of bitter mockery. "With me you need have no
fear! Come."

And I led her on, too powerless to resist my force, too startled to
speak--on, on, on, over the rank dewy grass and unmarked ancient
graves--on, till the low frowning gate of the house of my dead
ancestors faced me--on, on, on, with the strength of ten devils in my
arm as I held her--on, on, on, to her just doom!

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The moon had retreated behind a dense wall of cloud, and the landscape
was enveloped in semi-darkness. Reaching the door of the vault, I
unlocked it; it opened instantly, and fell back with a sudden clang.
She whom I held fast with my iron grip shrunk back, and strove to
release herself from my grasp.

"Where are you going?" she demanded, in a faint tone. "I--I am afraid!"

"Of what?"--I asked, endeavoring to control the passionate vibrations
of my voice and to speak unconcernedly. "Because it is dark? We shall
have a light directly--you will see--you--you," and to my own surprise
I broke into a loud and violent laugh. "You have no cause to be
frightened! Come!"

And I lifted her swiftly and easily over the stone step of the entrance
and set her safely inside. INSIDE at last, thank Heaven! I shut the
great gate upon us both and locked it! Again that strange undesired
laugh broke from my lips involuntarily, and the echoes of the charnel
house responded to it with unearthly and ghastly distinctness. Nina
clung to me in the dense gloom.

"Why do you laugh like that?" she cried, loudly and impatiently. "It
sounds horrible."

I checked myself by a strong effort.

"Does it? I am sorry--very sorry! I laugh because--because, cara mia,
our moonlight ramble is so pleasant--and amusing--is it not?"

And I caught her to my heart and kissed her roughly. "Now," I
whispered, "I will carry you--the