Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-04-20
. He is here still. MiIanetta .

What, here here in your power ?
Oh. spare him, my lord, spare him. 1t
is | only who have deserved your ven
geance --death is my portion; but for
him" -
" Yes, scornful girl Death for you
He has asked for mercy for you-he has
come to ask me to place you again in his
arms but | will give you to the execu-
tiOner, and your lover shall witness -
The marquis flung open the door with
violence. ! had quite forgotten that he
was there, and he had heard every word
| spoke. AT his appearance Milanetta
uttered one deSpairing shrek, while |
looked at them both vindictively. He
beckoned me aside, and said with a low
voice: My Lord Count, you are a
gentleman by birth, but you have dis.
graced your name and rank. Among
people of our station the sword Is the
only aIbiter, and the injuries of jealousy
and love are settled by that appeal. 1t
is not by hanging Milanetta that you
should revenge yourself when you have
the opportunity Of gentleman of fight
ing me-"
"What! Would you accept a chal-
lengef'
"This very instant"
But you knew the strict laws against
duelliDg and the rigorous strictness
with which both kings exact the pen-
atty"
{" know very well that both in France
and Spain the duellist is punished by the
forfeiture of his estates; that his shield
is defaced and his coat of arms burned,
and that if his enemy is killed he is be-
headed but | hate you now as strongly
as you can hate me, and to hold my
swords point to your heart would face
every peril and every disgrace p
Tomorrow, then, at daybreak, | will
be at Venasque with a second"
"Be it SO. And now sign Milanetia's
pardon"
"Her pardon"
at is the first and only condition of
our meeting"
| signed it, and handed it to Milanetta,
who refused to take it.
"What will it avail me-" said she,
"when my father knows the secret of
my nocturnal journeys? When he
questions me, what answer can | give
him? If | tell him the truth he will kill
me on the spot"
"Kill you, Milanetta 2"
"He is only a smuggler or a bandit in
your eyes; but this bandit is as jealous
as any peer of France or grandee of
Spain. He Will kill me l tell you, and I
would prefer dying by the executioner's
hand to his"
Next morning, before the sun rose ]
was at the very extremity OF the Spanish
frontier, and the marquis made his ap-
pearance almost as soon. He brought his
second but had forgotten to bring one.
A man on horseback was passing within
a few PAGES of us. | called to him and
asked him if he would become my second
in duel.
He Immediately dismounted, measured
our swords like man accustomed 10 the
business, and offered me his own as bet
ter tempered than mine. We had scarce.
ly crossed our blades when the French
and Spanish guards came running up,
separated us, enjoined us to desist, and
threatened to arrest us if we renewed the
combat. Milanetta had informed them
OF our intentions. perceived the rage
and notifications of the marquis at this
interruption, but ] told him that We
could laugh at their interference, and
fight before their faces without their
having the power to interfere.
"The frontier of France and Spain is
marked by that cross. You, who are a
Frenchmsn, cross into Spain, while |
step into France. We can then cross
our blades, with our feet touching the
frontier line, which we can keep between
our bodies and our swords. The Spanisrd
who fights a Frenchman on French
ground, and the Frencbman who meets a
Spaniard on the Spanish soil, cannot be
reached by the law, for the King of
Spain has no more power over you than
the King of France has over me, aud
neither would violate the laws of nations
by arresting their subjects on foreign
territory"
With one bound I stood upon the ter
ritory of France, while the marquis re-
NAMED in Spain, and we both called 10
the guards "Back, marshalmen of
France, you have no authority over a
noble of Spain" "Away, holy brother
hoed of Spain; keep your hands of a
gentleman of France"
The soldiers fell back amazed and
irresOlute, while we stood and fought in
the narrow pass, where there was not
room for more than man to stand. Our
swords had scarcely recrossed when the
marquis fell, pierced to the heart. |
rushed forward to support him, when my
second, holding me in his iron grasp,
shouted: "Stop where you are One
foot forward and death stares you in the
face, ard that upon the scsffoldH" His
words were interrupted by a shrek, and
we saw Milanetta fling herself upon the
dead body. utteriDg the most passionate
exclamstiens of agony and tenderness.
My second CRASHED his teeth, when he
saw and heard her. He rushed to her
and tore her roughly from the body
which she embraced. She uttered a
heart. piercing shrek, and, falling on her
kneessand ciasping her hands, she ex'
claimed: -.
Forgive me father, forgive me w
Dishonored " answered he, with s
gloomy voice. Then die with him y
and with one blow of his knife he laid
her lifeless at his feet. Then lifting W
her body he flung it to me, saying "Sht
who loved a hated Frenchman is not
worthy of finding grave in her country
the soil of Spain rejects the body o
Milanetta."
The guards of the holy brotherhood
surrounded the smuggler, who threw hi
knife away and held out his hands t.
them.
"Bind me-" said he, "I am the leade
of the smugglers-you can hang me a
once for smuggling, but not for killing
my daughter. Ysu have outlawed tn,
smuggler, and therefore he takes justic
into his own hands,"
My estate was confscated, my es
cutcheon disfgured, my castle. burnet
and a price set upon my head bu
heaven has punished me in lengtheniuI
my existence and protracting my sorrows
] have survived this event fifty years
but my heart is still young in recolltC
tions and suferings, and from that time