A Sicilian Romance

His former fascinations, however, quickly returned, and again held him

in suspension between love and vengeance. That the vehemence of his

passion, however, might not want an object, he ordered Baptista to

discover the retreat of the Cavalier de Vincini on whom he meant to

revenge his lost honor. Shame forbade him to employ others in the

search. This discovery suspended for a while the operations of the fatal

scheme, which had before employed the thoughts of the marquis; but it

had only suspended--not destroyed them. The late occurrence had

annihilated his domestic happiness; but his pride now rose to rescue

him from despair, and he centered all his future hopes upon ambition.

In a moment of cool reflection, he considered that he had derived

neither happiness or content from the pursuit of dissipated pleasures,

to which he had hitherto sacrificed every opposing consideration. He

resolved, therefore, to abandon the gay schemes of dissipation which

had formerly allured him, and dedicate himself entirely to ambition,

in the pursuits and delights of which he hoped to bury all his cares.

He therefore became more earnest than ever for the marriage of Julia

with the Duke de Luovo, through whose means he designed to involve

himself in the interests of the state, and determined to recover her

at whatever consequence. He resolved, without further delay, to appeal

to the pope; but to do this with safety it was necessary that the

marchioness should die; and he returned therefore to the consideration

and execution of his diabolical purpose.

He mingled a poisonous drug with the food he designed for her; and

when night arrived, carried it to the cell. As he unlocked the door,

his hand trembled; and when he presented the food, and looked

consciously for the last time upon the marchioness, who received it

with humble thankfulness, his heart almost relented. His countenance,

over which was diffused the paleness of death, expressed the secret

movements of his soul, and he gazed upon her with eyes of stiffened

horror. Alarmed by his looks, she fell upon her knees to supplicate

his pity. Her attitude recalled his bewildered senses; and endeavouring to

assume a tranquil aspect, he bade her rise, and instantly quitted the

cell, fearful of the instability of his purpose. His mind was not yet

sufficiently hardened by guilt to repel the arrows of conscience, and

his imagination responded to her power. As he passed through the long

dreary passages from the prison, solemn and mysterious sounds seemed

to speak in every murmur of the blast which crept along their

windings, and he often started and looked back.

He reached his chamber, and having shut the door, surveyed the room in

fearful examination. Ideal forms flitted before his fancy, and for the

first time in his life he feared to be alone. Shame only withheld him

from calling Baptista. The gloom of the hour, and the death-like

silence that prevailed, assisted the horrors of his imagination. He

half repented of the deed, yet deemed it now too late to obviate it;

and he threw himself on his bed in terrible emotion. His head grew

dizzy, and a sudden faintness overcame him; he hesitated, and at

length arose to ring for assistance, but found himself unable to

stand. In a few moments he was somewhat revived, and rang his bell; but

before any person appeared, he was seized with terrible pains, and

staggering to his bed, sunk senseless upon it. Here Baptista, who was

the first person that entered his room, found him struggling seemingly

in the agonies of death. The whole castle was immediately roused, and

the confusion may be more easily imagined than described. Emilia,

amid the general alarm, came to her father's room, but the sight of

him overcame her, and she was carried from his presence. By the help

of proper applications the marquis recovered his senses and his pains

had a short cessation.