"I fear it," sighed Marianne. "And if so, what fate then awaits our

poor princess? Helpless, alone, without means! For if the count is

imprisoned, he will no longer be in a condition to send money as he

promised. And we now possess only a thousand scudi, with double that

amount in diamonds!"

"Then we are still rich enough to keep off deprivations for a time!"

said Carlo.

"But when at length these last resources are exhausted?" asked

Marianne--"when we no longer have either money or diamonds--how then?"

"Oh, then," exclaimed Carlo, with a beaming face, "then will we labor

for her! That, also, will be a pleasure, Marianne!"

While the two were thus conversing, Natalie, with a happy smile and

cheerful face, was still singing her hymn of joy for Paulo's approaching

return to the accompaniment of the rustling trees, the murmuring

fountains, and the chirping birds in the myrtle-bush. It was a beautiful

night, and as the bright full moon now advanced between the pines,

illuminating Natalie's face and form, the partially intoxicated and

perfectly happy Carlo whispered: "Only look, Marianne! does she not

resemble a blessed angel ready to spread her wings, and with the

moonlight to mount up to the stars? Only look, seems it not as if the

moonbeams tenderly embraced her for the purpose of leading an angel back

to its home?"

"May she, at least, one day, with such a happy smile, take her departure

for the skies!" sighed Marianne, piously folding her hands.

At this moment a shrill, cutting wail interrupted Natalie's song. A

string of her guitar had suddenly snapped asunder; frightened, almost

angry, Natalie let the instrument fall to the earth, and again the

strings resounded like lamentations and sighs.

"That is a bad omen," sighed Natalie. "How, if that should be true, and

not my dream?"

And trembling with anxiety, the young maiden stretched forth her hands

toward her friends.

"Carlo--Marianne," she anxiously said, "come here to me, protect me with

your love from this mortal fear and anguish which has suddenly come over

me. See, the moon is hiding behind the clouds. Ah, the whole world grows

dark and casts a mourning veil over its bright face!"

And the timid child, clinging to Marianne's arm, concealed her face in

the bosom of her motherly friend.

"And you call that an omen!" said Carlo, with forced cheerfulness. "This

time, princess, I am the fatum which has alarmed you! It is my own

fault that this string broke. It was already injured and half broken

this evening when I tuned the guitar, but I hoped it would suffice for

the low, sad melodies you now always play. Yes, could I have known that

you would have so exulted and shouted, I should have replaced it with

another string, and this great misfortune would not have occurred."




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