ad always loved him, and that it was only Satan who had led
her astray."

"Why then, everything is all right," said Doctor Gratiano, "and there's
no cause for lamentation."

Pasquarello began, however, to weep and sob more violently than before,
till at length, as if overcome by the terrible nature of his pain, he
fainted away. Doctor Gratiano ran backwards and forwards in great
distress, was so sorry he had no smelling-bottle with him, felt in all
his pockets, and at last produced a roasted chestnut, and put it under
the insensible Pasquarello's nose. He at once recovered, sneezing
violently, and begging him to attribute his faintness to his weak
nerves, he related how that, immediately after the marriage, Marianna
had been afflicted with the saddest melancholy, continually calling
upon Antonio, and treating the old gentleman with contempt and
aversion. But the old fellow, quite infatuated by his passion and
jealousy, had not ceased to torment the poor girl with his folly in the
most abominable way. And here Pasquarello mentioned a host of mad
tricks which Pasquale had done, and which were really current in Rome
about him. Signor Capuzzi sat on thorns; he murmured at intervals,
"Curse you, Formica! You are lying! What evil spirit is in you?" He was
only prevented from bursting out into a violent passion by Toricelli
and Cavalcanti, who sat watching him with an earnest gaze.

Pasquarello concluded his narration by telling that Marianna had at
length succumbed to her unsatisfied longing for her lover, her great
distress of mind, and the innumerable tortures which were inflicted
upon her by the execrable old fellow, and had died in the flower of her
youth.

At this moment was heard a mournful _De profundis_ sung by hollow,
husky voices, and men clad in long black robes appeared on the stage,
bearing an open coffin, within which was seen the corpse of lovely
Marianna wrapped in white shrouds. Behind it came Signor Pasquale
Capuzzi in the deepest mourning, feebly staggering along and wailing
aloud, beating his breast, and crying in a voice of despair, "O
Marianna! Marianna!"

So soon as the real Capuzzi caught sight of his niece's corpse he broke
out into loud lamentations, and both Capuzzis, the one on the stage and
the one off, gave vent to their grief in the most heartrending wails
and groans, "O Marianna! O Marianna! O unhappy me! Alas! Alas for me!"

Let the reader picture to himself the open coffin with the cor