injuring
thy race. Thou canst not have been in such straits in company with the
Signor Sigismondo, without imbibing some touch of his noble generosity.
You have struggled together for our common good, you come of the same God,
have the same manly courage, are equally stout of heart, strong of hand,
and willing to do for others. Such a heart must have enough of noble and
human impulses to cause you to love justice. Speak, then, and I pledge our
sacred word, that thou shalt fare better for thy candor than by taking
refuge in thy present fraud. Bethink thee, Maso, that the happiness of
this aged man, of Sigismund himself, if thou wilt, for I blush not to say
it--of a weak and affectionate girl, is in thy keeping. Give us truth
holy; sacred truth, and we pardon the past."

Il Maledetto was moved by the beautiful earnestness of the speaker. Her
ingenuous interest in the result, with the solemnity of her appeal shook
his purpose.

"Thou know'st not what thou say'st, lady; thou ask'st my life," he
answered, after pondering in a way to give a new impulse to the dying
hopes of the Doge.

"Though there is no quality more sacred than justice," interposed the
chatelain, who alone could speak with authority in the Valais; "it is
fairly within the province of her servants to permit her to go unexpiated,
in order that greater good may come of the sacrifice. If thou wilt prove
aught that is of grave importance to the interests of the Prince of Genoa,
Valais owes it to the love it bears his republic to requite the service."

Maso listened, at first, with a cold ear. He felt the distrust of one who
had sufficient knowledge of the world to be acquainted with the thousand
expedients that were resorted to by men, in order to justify their daily
want of faith. He questioned the chatelain closely as to his meaning, nor
was it until a late hour, and after long and weary explanations on both
sides, that the parties came to an understanding.

On the part of those who, on this occasion, were the representatives of
that high attribute of the Deity which among men is termed justice, it was
sufficiently apparent that they understood its exercise with certain
reservations that might be made at pleasure in favor of their own views;
and, on the part of Maso, there was no attempt to conceal the suspicions
he entertained to the last, that he might be a sufferer by lessening in
any degree the strength of the defences by which he was at present
shield