r the love of Heaven, this other also!
Have pity! How can I live, if I know that I have killed my father?"

He took both her hands in his, and strove to soothe down her wild terror
and dismay. He declared to her she had nothing to do with it, no more
than himself; that her father had been tried by his colleagues; that if
he had not been, a fearful act of treachery would have been committed.
She listened, or appeared to listen; but her lips were pale; her eyes
had a strange look in them; she was breathless.

"Calabressa said they were all-powerful," she interrupted suddenly. "But
are they all-powerful to slay only? Oh no, I cannot believe it! I will
go to them; it cannot be too late; I will say to them that I would
rather have died than appealed to them if I had known that this was to
be the terrible result. And Calabressa--why did he not warn me? Or is he
one of the blood-thirsty ones also--one of the tigers that crouch in the
dark? Oh, signore, if they are all-powerful, they are all-powerful to
pardon. May I not go to themselves?"

"It would be useless, my dear signorina," said Von Zoesch, with deep
compassion in his voice. "I am sorry to grieve you, but justice has been
done, and the decision is past recall. And do not blame poor old
Calabressa--"

At this moment the bell of the outer gate rang, echoing through the
empty house, and he started somewhat.

"Come, child," said her mother. "We have taken up too much of your time,
Stefan. I wish there had been no drawback to your good news."

"At the present moment," he said, glancing somewhat anxiously toward
the building, "I cannot ask you to stay, Natalie; but on some other
occasion, and as soon as you please, I will give you any information you
may wish. Remember, you have good friends here."

Natalie suffered herself to be led away. She seemed too horror-stricken
to be able to speak. Von Zoesch accompanied them only to the terrace,
and there bade them good-bye. Granaglia was waiting to show them to the
gate. A few moments afterward they were in their carriage, returning to
Naples.

They sat silent for some time, the mother regarding her daughter
anxiously.

"Natalushka, what are you thinking of?"

The girl started: her eyes were filled with a haunting fear, as if she
had just seen some terrible thing. And yet she spoke slowly and sadly
and wistfully.

"I was thinking, mother, that perhaps it was not so hard to be condemned
to die; for then there would com