The Daughter of an Empress

"They will destroy all three of us!" said the count. "Believe me, the

knife is already sharpened for our throats! Believe also, Cecil, that

I tremble not from fear of death. But I fear for Natalie! Ah, I already

seem to see the approach of her murderers, to see them seize her with

their bloody hands, and I shall not be there to protect her!"

While Count Paulo thus spoke, with a sad, foreboding soul, those two

mysterious men, who had so threateningly watched and listened to Natalie

and her friend, still remained under the wall.

The one still held the dagger in his hand, and was unquietly walking

back and forth near his companion, who had calmly thrown himself upon

the ground.

"You did wrong to hinder me, Beppo," he angrily said. "It would have

been best to have finished them at once. The occasion could not have

been more favorable--the solitary garden, the nightly stillness and

obscurity. Ah, one blow would have done the business!"

"Well, and what if the gentleman who sat near her had seized you before

the blow was struck? How then?" asked the other. "You are yet but a

novice and a bungler, friend Giuseppo. You yet lack discretion, the

tranquil glance, the sure hand! You always suffer yourself to become

excited, which is unartistic and even dangerous. We went out today only

to obtain information; we were only to discover and observe the signora,

and perhaps to watch for an opportunity. But to fall upon her in this

garden would have been the extreme of stupidity, for we had all

the servants and the hounds against us, and it is one of the first

principles of our profession to put others in danger, but never to incur

it themselves."

"Wherefore, then, have we come here?" cried Giuseppo, with vehemence.

"To see her and know her, that we may surely recognize her again when

the right hour comes. And that hour will come--I will answer for it.

Did not the signora tell us that this lady would probably attend the

festival of Cardinal Bernis?"

"She said so."

"Well, and we have come here that we might see and know her in advance.

She is very beautiful, and a truly respectable person, Giuseppo. I am

pleased with the idea of this festival of the French cardinal. I think

it will afford much business in our line."