et mantle,
trimmed with gold lace, telling him to wear it for love of her. As for
the remaining moiety, it was to be paid when the death of the old man had
placed his wife and daughter in possession of his fortune.

The two sbirri departed, and the imprisoned conspirators anxiously
awaited their return. On the day fixed, they were seen again. Monsignor
Guerra had paid the thousand piastres, and Giacomo had given his consent.
Nothing now stood in the way of the execution of this terrible deed,
which was fixed for the 8th of September, the day of the Nativity of the
Virgin; but Signora Lucrezia, a very devout person, having noticed this
circumstance, would not be a party to the committal of a double sin; the
matter was therefore deferred till the next day, the 9th.

That evening, the 9th of September, 1598, the two women, supping with the
old man, mixed some narcotic with his wine so adroitly that, suspicious
though he was, he never detected it, and having swallowed the potion,
soon fell into a deep sleep.

The evening previous, Marzio and Olympio had been admitted into the
castle, where they had lain concealed all night and all day; for, as will
be remembered, the assassination would have been effected the day before
had it not been for the religious scruples of Signora Lucrezia Petroni.
Towards midnight, Beatrice fetched them out of their hiding-place, and
took them to her father's chamber, the door of which she herself opened.
The assassins entered, and the two women awaited the issue in the room
adjoining.

After a moment, seeing the sbirri reappear pale and nerveless, shaking
their heads without speaking, they at once inferred that nothing had been
done.

"What is the matter?" cried Beatrice; "and what hinders you?"

"It is a cowardly act," replied the assassins, "to kill a poor old man in
his sleep. At the thought of his age, we were struck with pity."

Then Beatrice disdainfully raised her head, and in a deep firm .voice
thus reproached them.

"Is it possible that you, who pretend to be brave and strong, have not
courage enough to kill a sleeping old man? How would it be if he were
awake? And thus you steal our money! Very well: since your cowardice
compels me to do so, I will kill my father myself; but you will not long
survive him."

Hearing these words, the sbirri felt ashamed of their irresolution, and,
indicating by signs that they would fulfil their compact, they entered
the room, accompanied