arted, and felt himself
changing color guiltily as one of his servants entered.

"My mistress is awake," the man said, with a very grave face, and a very
constrained manner; "and the gentlemen in attendance desire me to say--"

He was interrupted, before he could give his message, by one of the
medical men, who had followed him into the room.

"I wish I had better news to communicate," began the doctor, gently.

"She is worse, then?" said Fabio, sinking back into the chair from which
he had risen the moment before.

"She has awakened weaker instead of stronger after her sleep," returned
the doctor, evasively. "I never like to give up all hope till the very
last, but--"

"It is cruel not to be candid with him," interposed another voice--the
voice of the doctor from Florence, who had just entered the room.
"Strengthen yourself to bear the worst," he continued, addressing
himself to Fabio. "She is dying. Can you compose yourself enough to go
to her bedside?"

Pale and speechless, Fabio rose from his chair, and made a sign in the
affirmative. He trembled so that the doctor who had first spoken was
obliged to lead him out of the room.

"Your mistress has some near relations in Pisa, has she not?" said the
doctor from Florence, appealing to the servant who waited near him.

"Her father, sir, Signor Luca Lomi; and her uncle, Father Rocco,"
answered the man. "They were here all through the day, until my mistress
fell asleep."

"Do you know where to find them now?"

"Signor Luca told me he should be at his studio, and Father Rocco said I
might find him at his lodgings."

"Send for them both directly. Stay, who is your mistress's confessor? He
ought to be summoned without loss of time."

"My mistress's confessor is Father Rocco, sir."

"Very well--send, or go yourself, at once. Even minutes may be of
importance now." Saying this, the doctor turned away, and sat down to
wait for any last demands on his services, in the chair which Fabio had
just left.

CHAPTER III.

Before the servant could get to the priest's lodgings a visitor had
applied there for admission, and had been immediately received by Father
Rocco himself. This favored guest was a little man, very sprucely and
neatly dressed, and oppressively polite in his manner. He bowed when he
first sat down, he bowed when he answered the usual inquiries about his
health, and he bowed, for the third time, when Father Rocco asked what
had brought him from F