The herald., 1898-11-06
"Te Me What Unusual Thing Is Toward Upon This Night"

place of safety, and as for this swash-
buckler, this traditore satanico, go to,
We will attend to his affair.""
The graceful and stately daughter
of Castruccio listened to him with IN
air of wonder, and then gazed at me
for q moment with a regretful and half
incredulous look. 1t did not seem to
me possible that she could at once be-
lieve the word of this gross and sense
less official in the face of my love for
her and the devotion 1 had shown her,
but she seemed upon the point of doing
so. She now turned away from me
coldly, and I knew at once that her
determination was taken.
ut is all on account of that unfor-
! tunate dissension about our ances-
tors" thought I. "and because of her
finding that Internal handkerchief in
the passageway."
"Sayest thou even so, worthy podes-
ta?" said she at length. and yet I
might have been convinced sooner CT
the princes peridy, if / had believed
| the evidences which have been thrust
upon me, and had listened to the die
tates Of reason. Ho, ye burly men of
| the watch bind the villain hand and
foot and tie him fast in yonder chair!"
To say that 1 was shocked and
grieved and surprised beyond measure
at my quondam inamorata's harshness
towards me, does but poorly express
my feelings. The halberdiers of the
watch to whom she had given this per-
emptory order, at once produced cords
and secured me firmly to the chair as
she had directed.
and now" she continued, Mess ar
: Gabrielle and right worshipful men,
bers of the signoria and men of the
watch, follow me, everyone Of ye, and,
by our Lady, I will show We such cry
ing and damnable evidences of the
guilt and cruelty and bloodthirstiness
of this family of the Pazzi as will
cause We to wish them presently ex-
terminated from the face of the
! earth"
| With that, she took the wax taper
and went along the secret passage, and
they all, without exception, followed
her, and when she had come to the en-
trance of the omlnous chamber, she
stood aside by the doorway, and let
the whole score of them pass into the
room. and 1 could see the whole pro-
ceeding from the chair where l sat
"This,'' said she, to the closely as
SeInDltu group DtlOit Hti, - llit iiioSt
wicked spot in this most wicked and
| bloody castle. Domeniddlo alone
knoweth how many murders have here
been done upon their foes by the re-
| morseless Pazzi. See, / have but to
pull this lever, and the floor will dis
appear from beneath your feet and ye
WI be cast down into that black and
bottomless we'll of which ye have
doubtless heard"
At this, a great fright seemed to
seize upon the gaping crew, and they
| crowded quickly and eagerly to the
entrance, and then Ippolita must have
pulled the lever for l saw their hands
wave in the air, heard most awful
and blood curdling shrek made of all
their combined voices. and saw them
isuddenly disappear. Then there came
a great splashing and wallowing
sound a sound of oaths and of blows
and of death struggles, and in mo-
ment all was still once more.
| Ippolita now worked the lever back,
and the floor rose again to its place.
Then she came to me very quietly and
coolly. and proceeded to unite my fas-
Jennings.
81 will wager thou didst believe that
l did not love thee, my Timoteo," said
she. .Beshrew me, but did not think
/ that so light a touch would move yon
iron lever, and now that ] do bethinlS
me, am of the opinion that did bear
upon it too heavily"
| Was she not magnificent, noble
and yet inexplicable creature? With
one movement of the hand she had dis
posed Of and put out Of existence the