powder, and pomatum, and by
every disgusting shape that can be imagined, as if a nightmair had
been unrolling her stores. They jumpt, and twirled, and tottered, and
stumbled, and straddled, and strutted, and swaggered along the
gallery, and then vanisht behind one of the doors. But few of the
beholders had been able to laugh, so utterly were they astounded by
the strange sight.

Suddenly a piercing shriek burst from one of the rooms, and forth into
the bloodred glow of the sunset rusht the pale bride, in a short white
frock, about which wreaths of flowers were dangling, with her lovely
bosom all naked, and her rich locks streaming through the air. As
though mad, with rolling eyes and wrencht face, she darted along the
gallery, and blinded by terrour could find neither door nor staircase;
and immediately after dasht Emilius in chase of her, with the
sparkling Turkish dagger in his high-uplifted hand.

Now she was at the end of the passage ... she could go no further ...
he reacht her. His maskt friends and the grey old woman were running
after him. But in his fury he had already pierced her bosom, and cut
across her white neck; her blood spouted forth into the radiance of
the setting sun.

The old woman had claspt her arms round him to tear him back; he
struggled fiercely, hurled himself along with her over the railing,
and they both fell almost lifeless at the feet of the relations who
had been staring in dumb horrour at the bloody scene.

Above, and in the court, or hurrying down the steps or along the
galleries, were seen the hideous masks, standing or running about, in
various clusters, like fiends of hell.

Roderick took his dying friend in his arms. He had found him in his
wife's room, playing with the dagger. She was almost drest when he
entered. At the sight of the detested red bodice his memory had
rekindled; the horrid vision of that night had risen up before his
eyes; and gnashing his teeth he had darted after his trembling, flying
bride, to avenge that murder and all those devilish doings.

The old woman, ere she died, confest the crime that had been
perpetrated; and the gladness and mirth of the whole house were
suddenly changed into sorrow and lamentation and dismay.

PIETRO OF ABANO.

The setting sun was flinging its red rays upon the towers and over the
houses of Padua, when a young stranger, newly arrived, had his
attention excited by a throng of people who were hurrying and running
al