his confession, and then the executioner, passing a
stout cord about his throat, strangled him--struggling and crying out
piteously for mercy!

When Antinorio was dead, Francesco was informed, and, sending for
Eleanora, he told her what had become of her second lover, and warned
her that a like fate might easily be hers if Don Piero was made
acquainted with the intrigue--surely a fell prophecy of coming tragedy!
Piero, too, was sent for to the palace, and again reprimanded for his
evil life and for his cruel desertion of his charming young wife. He
took his brother's words in an entirely wrong sense, abused him soundly
for his interference, and left his presence in a violent passion.

At once he caused an intimation to be made to the Princess that he
wished to see her about a matter which concerned them both intimately,
and required her to meet him out at the Villa di Cafaggiuolo. It was
the 20th of July, in the year 1576, that Eleanora received her husband's
commands--just ten days after the brutal murder of her lover--during the
course of which she gave way to uncontrolled grief. This summons she
knew presaged dire consequences to herself, and she had no friend to
seek for consolation and advice. The Grand Duke was out of the question,
and Duchess Isabella d'Orsini, who had proved herself no friend of good
omen, was in a plight very much like her own!

No, she had to fight the battle of her life and death alone, this girl
of twenty-three. She replied that she was quite prepared to meet Piero,
but she asked for a short delay. She spent it in weeping by the cradle
of her little son, Cosimo, and arranging her worldly affairs--she was
quite prepared for the worst.

Leaving Florence in the middle of a hot summer's day, the course to
Cafaggiuolo was trying to her horses--one indeed fell and died on the
way--an evil omen for poor Eleanora! As night was coming on she reached
the villa, more dead than alive with fright, and accompanied only by two
faithful ladies of her household. To their surprise the house appeared
to be deserted: there were no lights in the windows, and no one seemed
to be about.

The great doors were wide open, and with much trepidation the Princess
mounted the marble steps. The door of every room also was open and the
arras pulled aside, but nowhere could she see or hear her husband. Very
uncanny everything felt, the silence was almost suffocating, and the
darkness threw weird shadows athwart her an