eating
heart Wilhelmine leaned against the door, giddy with fear, when a
second demand, "Who is there? The watchword! No one can pass without the
countersign!" roused her, and she stole back on tiptoe to her room. "He
has kept his word, the doors are guarded!" she whispered. "I will go
and await him in my sitting-room." She stepped quickly forward, when
suddenly she thought she heard footsteps stealing behind her; turning,
she beheld two men wrapped in black cloaks, with black masks, stealthily
creeping after her. Wilhelmine shrieked with terror, tore open the
door, rushed across the next room into her own boudoir. As she entered a
glance revealed to her that the two masks approached nearer and nearer.
She bolted the door quickly, sinking to the floor with fright and
exhaustion. "What are they going to do? Will they force open the door
and murder me? How foolish, how fearfully foolish to have sent away all
my servants. Now I understand it: Cagliostro is not only an impostor--a
charlatan, but he is a thief and an assassin. I have been caught in the
trap set for me, like a credulous fool! He and his associates will rob
me and plunder my beautiful villa, but just given to me, and, when they
have secured all, murder me to escape betrayal." With deep contrition,
weeping and trembling, Wilhelmine accused herself of her credulity and
folly. For the first time in her life she was dismayed and cowardly, for
it was the first time that she had had to tremble for her possessions.
It was something so new, so unaccustomed to her to possess any thing,
that it made her anxious, and she feared, as in the fairy tale, that
it would dissolve into nothing. By degrees her presence of mind and
equanimity were restored. The stillness was unbroken--and no one forced
the door, to murder the mistress of this costly possession. Gathering
courage, she rose softly and stole to the window. The moon shone
brightly and clearly. The house stood sideways to the street, and
separated from it, first by thick shrubbery, and then a trellised lawn.
Whoever would enter, directly turned into a path leading from the street
into the shrubbery. Just upon this walk, Wilhelmine perceived masked men
approaching, one by one, as in a procession--slowly, silently moving on,
until they neared the gate of the trellised square, where two tall, dark
forms were stationed to demand the countersign, which being given, they
passed over the lawn into the house.

"I will take cou