d in tears. She called me
the accursed murderer of the man she had adored, and repelled me with
every mark of disgust; screamed and wept in inconsolable sorrow; fell
down fainting, as if stung by a scorpion, when I touched her hand. Who
can describe my amazement! Her parents could not give the slightest
explanation of the sudden change in her. She had never given any
favourable heed to the Count's attentions.

"'Her father concealed me in his palazzo, and, with the most noble
zeal, took care that I should be enabled to leave Naples undiscovered.
Driven by all the furies, I pushed on to St. Petersburg without a halt.
It is not the faithlessness of my love which plays havoc with my life.
No! it is a terrible mystery. Since that unhappy day in Naples I have
been dogged and pursued by the terrors of hell itself. Often by day,
but still oftener by night, I hear--sometimes as if a long distance
away, sometimes as if quite close beside me--a deep death-groan. It is
the voice of the Count whom I killed! It makes my inmost soul quiver
with horror. I hear that horrible sound distinctly, close to my ear, in
the thick of the thunder of the heavy siege-guns, and the rattle of
musketry, and all the wild despair of madness awakes within me. This
very night----' Bogislav paused; and I, as well as he, was seized with
the wildest horror; for there came to our hearing a long-sustained,
heart-breaking wail of sorrow, as if proceeding from the stair outside.
Then it was as if some one raised himself, groaning and sighing, with
difficulty from the ground, and was coming towards us with heavy,
uncertain steps.

"At this Bogislav started up from his seat, and, with a wild glow in
his eyes, cried out, in a voice of thunder: 'Appear to me, abominable
one, if you only will! I am more than a match for you, and all the
spirits of hell that are at your disposal!'

"On this there came a tremendous crash, and----"

Just then the door of the drawing-room flew open with a startling
noise.

And just as Ottmar read those words, the door of the summer-house in
which the friends were sitting flew open, also with a startling noise,
and they saw a dark form, wrapped in a mantle, approaching slowly, with
noiseless footfalls, as of a spirit. They all gazed at this form, a
little startled, holding their breaths.

"Is it right," said Lothair at length, when the full light of the
lamps, falling upon his face, displayed their friend Cyprian. "Is it
right to