Year: 1862

riviera di Genova,o overlooking the blue
Mediterranean. had been reading Long.
fellow for her, for, although an Italian, she
was we'll acquainted with English; she
bade me read once more The .'Fooisteps of
Angels, " and it was after these lines:


Then the forms ofihe departed


Enter al the open door


The beloved. the true hearted


Come 10 visit me once more,


that asked her--half in play. halt in earn.
est-whether she had ever seen a COST?


"Altro! 6giia mia answered she with
a sigh; "bui it's story more than fif,y
years old, and would rather you did no,
ask me to tell it you.n


She seemed very reluctant to make me
acquainted with it but, my curiosity being
now fairly reused, grew importunate with
my entreaties. Ii was some time, however
before could prevail upon her TO satisfy
my curiosity; and when she did so, her
IaIe was so mixed up with matters wholly
uninteIesting to The general reader, that
prefer giving il in my own words


My grandmother was the daughter OF the
Count di l.. AT sixteen the young
Maddalena was counted among The tairest
mai6ens of ''Gerova la superba - her hand
was sought by numberless youths amongst
the nobility of Italy bui my grandmother,
like many other damsels both of ancient
and modern times, had a preference She
had met at church the young and handsome
Count p, and she vowed in her little
heart that she would marry none o.her.-
Letters were exchanged between the lovers
and each evening, when the clock of the
church of San Lorenzo struck nine, the
young count might have been seen pacing
up aud down under the balcony of his
youthful mistress. The Count di L. was
averse TO the match--he did not deem the
young noble worthy of his treasure. "She
must" he had said, 'be the bride OF
prince :" bu: Maddaena had an uncle, the
Cardinal M, whom she dearly loved,
and he was all.powerfuI with her father =
To him she intended 10 impart her little
secret: she had long waited Tor his return
from Rome, whittier the benevolent prelate
had gone, to be present al '.Concislorio.


One morning she received a long letter
from him informing her of his approaching
arrival; and on the evening of the same
day the family were sitting at supper, for
in those days the evening meal had not vet
taken the name of .sdinnern They were
ali joyful in The expectation of the arrival
OF the kind-hearied cardinal, and Maddale-
ma especially so, when they were startled
by the sudden entrance OF an acquaintance,
whose counienance showed he was the
bearer OF i'll news. .-Had they heard,n he
asked, "what had happened gu All an
swering in the negative. he replied that the
young Count F. had been murdered an
hour ago and the assassin had fled; more
no one knew.


My grandmother tells me she heard the
news Without single cry or croan; she
bore il all. Sick at heart, she rose from the
table, cross ed The room 10 The door almost
unnuticed, for all were eagerly discussing
the fatal event; she even curiisied TO the
one gnest who opened The door for her, but
how she reached her room she can moi tell
she remembered locking the door after her,
and kneeling by her bedside, where she
relieved her breaking heart by flood of
passionate tears. She was in that safe of
iaIntness which comes with exhaustion
from extreme weeping, when the bell OF
San Lorenzo began the firsi peal OF nine
terrible sensation came over, and, yet she
could scarcely realize the truth; could it be
that that voice she was in the habit of hear
ing every evening, al that very hour, call
her by name, had been seen only the even
ing bsfore. full of life and hope, was now
lying dead-killsd oy the hand of an assas-
sin Slowly the church clock finished stri-
king the hour. and the silence which il left
behind brought an indescribable pain to
he hear OF poor Maddalena she was too
weak TO pray, but slowly raised her weary
eyes TO the image of the Madonna placed
in the above opposite 10 where she knelt;
when, suddenly, she heard a voice calling
her every evening at that same hour. Oh !
The idea was maddeniug. She rose, part
ed with both her hands the hair from her
feveTed brow, and listened, heart beating



and her feet nailed TO the floor her limbs
stiff with horror. She listened, and again
the voice called "Manin % and the third
time again, s.Manin 7; but she did nor stir
she sa, on her bed, listened for the sound
Of that voice, butin vain she waited, for the
voice was not heard again that night.


Her nurse came soon after TO the door,
and The noise she made in her efforts 10
gain admitlance reused my grandmother,
who ran to the door and lei her good foster-
mother IN. The old woman had heard of
Inc sad event, and was full of sympathy for
her young mistress, who, she saw at a
glance, was nearly PROSTATE with sorrow
She entered into the particulars of the as
sassination of the young count with all the
garrulity of her kind, saying that never had
iairer s'cayalieren fallen victim to jealousy,