Year: 1864

+ his prey. As he passed beneath th
shadow Of the great cathedral, be fancIe
! he heard again the solemn nstes of il


mighty organ Pealing forth a requiem
! mass. This time he seemed to see hi


own corpse lying in state upon a cos,l


bier. Shuddering at the figures that hi


Imagination had conjured up, he enterel
/ the dwelling of his daughter.


| But no lithesome step was heard com


ing to meet him, no merry voice utterin!
a silvery welcome as of yore. a dreai


mi sgiving overcame him. and he sanl


upon The pavement At BE base Of thi
slRirs leading to his ehild's apartment


Again did the organ watt Its specua
music across the square. Phanloms
livid and deathly, jeeringly pointed theil
skeleton fingers and glared from then
cavernous eyes on the wretch as he Lag
I PROSTATE. They thundered in his ears


Thou are the man Await thy doom
for vengeance is sure. saith the Lord.
! In this condition he was found by one
of his daughters servants. who gave the
alarm and procured the necessary assist
ance to remove him TO his couch. Be-
wildered and crazed. he groaned in spigit,
and It was some time before he could be
made to understand that Lucia had not
returned from YES pers, and that already
her attendants had secured the city, in
different directions, hoping to obtain some
clue to her whereabouts, bat all had re-
turned without success.


1T is no use,n he exclaimed Il know
where She is, and miserable man that !
am, am her destroyer"


In his then condition he was obliged to
keep his bed for the following day, for
his mind was in state Of frenzy, border
ing on absolute madness. Towards even
ing he recovered himself somewhat and
ordered a coach aud horses 20 bear him
to the castle of Aventino. We will now
return to the duke and the poor girl
whom he had abducted and imprisoned.


He had long watched her, knowing on
ly that her name was said to be Isabella,
hoping for some favorable opportunity Of
sslzing her and bearing her to his fast
ness IL the n.oun:n:1e, uhere he could
defy an army in caso'of siege. OF assault.
Nor did he dream for a moment that she
was the daughter Of his friend Guido
Had he known that fact il might have
stayed his impious hand, bot as it was
the deed was done. After thrusting her
into his carriage, he threatened her with
instant death if she cried out or made
the least resistance. Overcome by
fright and terror she tainted away, and
it was in this state Of insensibility that
she at length reached Alberto's castle
When she recovered she found herself
in a gorgeous apartment, with young
and handsome cavalier gazing at her with
looks of passion and admiration.


20 Godr' she exclaimed, 'where am
4? Noble sir, release me, and heaven
viii smile upon you. l ask this boon on
bended knees"


Heaven. it appears, has smiled upon
me this very night, fair lady," said the
duke, Gin vouchsafng to my tender care
and custody so young and beautiful a
flower as yourself. Believe me that !
love-aye, have long loved you-and
that l shall devote the balance of my life
in endeaorving to make you happy"
Her great grief at length gave way to
food of tears, when Alberto perCeiving
her condition left her. promising tOreturn
as soon as time had assuaged her sorrow.
She found herself in a mans apartment.
From the window she could perceive that
the castle was situated upon the top of
lofty mountain, and only accessible by a
bride pathway. The winds swept thro'
the dark forest with a melancholy sound,
bearing to her ears the presage notes Of
death-for 10 die she was determined,
rather than be dishonored by a william

She examined the room and found in one
of the closets attached thereto a stilletto.
This she concealed IN her bosom, with
feeling Of security such as the fierce PRIDE
of an Italian nature only can bestow.-
Late IN the afternoon Alberto again made
her visit, bat finding her obstinate, he
again left, promising to see Der On the
following morning. He trusted that time
and patience would work 2 change IN her
obduracy.


She had new ample time for reflection
as to the best mode of escape. The bolts
and bars she could not overcome, and she
was ignorant Of the intricacies of the
castle. Sill she did not dispair. Hope
at length pointed cut a CLEAN Of light
If she could disguise herself ia one Of
the dukes costumes-of which there
were many IN the roon-she might pass
n m