assassinate me?"

"I will take your life.--If you will not defend it," said Nigri,
striking Rechberg, as he spoke, with the flat of his sword. Scarcely
had the Count felt the blow, when his sword, quick as lightning,
flashed from the scabbard, and the fight began. Hermengarde still lay
upon the ground, her head upon Hedwige's knee. During the progress of
the duel, she opened her eyes and called her lover's name, but Erwin
saw and heard nothing except his antagonist who had slightly wounded
him. Suddenly, he saw his opportunity, and with a rapid thrust
stretched Pietro lifeless on the ground. Just then the chamberlain.
rushed forward to prevent the combat, but it was too late, and as he
saw the bloody corpse,--

"Woe to us!" he cried, "a murder has been committed within the
cloister-walls. Wretch, what have you done?"

But Rechberg paid no attention to the question; he wished to approach
the young girl, who was seated with her nurse upon a neighboring bench,
but she motioned him away.

"I was present during the whole affair," said brother Severinus, who
endeavored to apologize for the Count. "I saw it all, worthy father;
the Count would have gone elsewhere, but this unhappy man, whose soul
is before his God, tried to kill him; he was obliged to defend
himself."

"That certainly diminishes the enormity of the offence," replied the
chamberlain, "but a crime has been committed within the cloister, and
it is to be judged here at Cluny. Follow me, Count."

"At once," said Rechberg. "Noble lady," he added, turning to Richenza,
"I regret sincerely, that my violence has caused your young lady of
honor to faint. I trust that she will be cared for until I have
established my innocence and can offer my excuses in person. Richenza
understood the hint; for, except as an attendant of the Countess,
Hermengarde would have been obliged to leave the cloister immediately.

"It was scarcely necessary to ask me to take care of my young friend,"
she said; "it is only my duty."

She gave the necessary orders for her to be conveyed to her own
apartments, and Erwin with one last look at Hermengarde, followed the
chamberlain.

On the ensuing day, the judges met, but the testimony of Severinus, and
the favorable reputation which Erwin bore as Clemence's champion,
procured his acquittal. Still the court was at a loss to understand the
motives of the Count's quarrel with the Italian. The judges withdrew
into an adjoining room, whence, a