keeping her eyes upon the angry woman before her. "You will not leave this house except in charge of my physician, if you are mad; and if you mean what you say, you shall not go until you have repeated your words to Don Giovanni Sarracinesca himself,no, do not start or try to escapeit is of no use. I am very sudden and violent-beware!" Donna Tullia bit her red lip. She was beginning to realize that she had got herself into trouble, and that it might be hard to get out of it. But she felt herself strong, and she wished she had with her those proofs which would make her case good. She was so sanguine of nature that she was willing to carry the fight to the end, and to take her chance for the result. "You may send for Don Giovanni if you please," she said. "I have spoken the truth-if he denies it I can prove it. If I were you I would spare him the humiliation A servant entered the room in answer to the bell, and Corona interrupted Donna Tullia's speech by giving the man her orders. "Go at once to the Palazzo Sarracinesca, and beg Don Giovanni to come here instantly with his father, the Prince. Take the carriage-it is waiting below." The man disappeared, and Corona quietly resumed her seat. Donna Tullia was silent for a few moments, attempting to control her anger in an assumption of dignity; but soon she broke out afresh, being rendered very nervous and uncomfortable by the Duchessa's calm manner and apparent indifference to consequences. "Nothing that you say," said Corona, completing the sentence. Unable to bear the situation, Madame Mayer rose suddenly from her seat, and began to pace the small room with short, angry steps. "You shall see," she said, fiercely "you shall see that it is all true. You shall see this man's face when I accuse him-you shall see him humiliated, overthrown, exposed in his villany-the wretch! You shall see how" Corona's strong voice interrupted her enemy's invective in ringing tones. "In "Be silent!" she cried. twenty minutes he will be here. But if you say one word against him before he comes, I will lock you into this room and leave you. I certainly will not hear you." Donna Tullia reflected that the Duchessa was in her own house, and moreover that she was not a woman to be trifled with. She threw herself into a chair, and taking up a book that lay upon the table, she pretended to read. Corona remained seated by the fireplace, glancing at her from time to time. She was strangely inclined to laugh at the whole situation, which seemed to her absurd in the extreme-for it never cross 66 She leaned back in her ed her mind to believe that there anger. was a word of truth in the accus- seat, and half closing her eyes ation against Giovanni. Never- with a disagreeabie look of contheless she was puzzled to account tempt, she addressed Giovanni. for Donna Tullia's assurance, and especially for her readiness to face the man she so caluminated. quarter of an hour elapsed in this armed silence-the two women glancing at each other from time to time, until the distant sound of wheels rolling under the great gate announced that the messenger had returned from the Palazzo Sarracinesca, probably conveying Don Giovanni and his father. "I am sorry to cause you such profound humiliation," she began, A but in the interest of the Duchessa d'Astrardente I feel bound to speak. Don Giovanni, do you remember Aquila ?" "Then you have made up your mind to the humiliation of the man you love? asked Donna Tullia, looking up from her book with a sneer on her face. Corona vouchsafed no answer, but her eyes turned towards the door, in expectation. Presently there were steps heard without. She servant entered, and announced Prince Sarracinesca and Don Glovanni. Corona rose. The old man came in first, followed by his son. "An unexpected pleasure," he said, gaily. "Such good luck! We were both at home. Ah, Donna Tullia, he cried, seeing Madame Mayer, "how are you?" Then seeing her face, he added, suddenly, "Is anything the matter ?" Meanwhile Giovanni had entered, and stood by Corona's side near the fireplace. He saw at once that something was wrong, and he looked anxiously from the Duchessa to Donna Tullia. Corona spoke at once. "Donna Tullia,"she said, quietly, "I have the honour to offer you an opportunity of explaining yourself." Madame Mayer remained seated by the table, her face red with "Certainly," he replied, coolly"I have often been there. What of it?" Old Sarracinesca stared from one to the other. "What is this comedy?" he asked of Corona. But she nodded to him to be silent. "Then you doubtless remember Felice Baldi-poor Felice Baldi," continued Donna Tullia, still gazing scornfully up at Giovanni from where she sat. "I never heard the name, that I can remember." answered Giovanni, as though trying to recall some memory of the past. He could not imagine what she was leading to, but he was willing to answer her questions. You do not remember that you were married to her at Aquila on the 19th of June- _?" “I—married?" cried Giovanni, in blank astonishment. "Signora Duchessa," said the Prince, bending his heavy brows, "what is the meaning of all this?" "I will tell you the meaning of it," said Donna Tullia, in low hissing tones, and rising suddenly to her feet she assumed a somewhat theatrical attitude as she pointed to Giovanni, and continued" I will tell what it means. It means that Don Giovanni Sarracinesca was married in the church of San Bernardino, at Aquila, on the 19th of June 1963, to the woman Felice Baldi-who is his lawful wife today, for aught we know the mother of his children, while he is here in Rome attempting to marry the Duchessa d'Astrardente-can he deny it? Can he deny that his own signature is there, there in the sacristy of the church at Aquila to testify against him? Can he "Silence!" roared the Prince "Silence, woman, or by God in heaven I will stop your talking for ever!" He made a step towards her, and there was a murderous red light in his black eyes. But Giovanni sprang forward and seized his father by the wrist. "You cannot silence me," screamed Donna Tullia. "I will be heard, and by all Rome. I will cry it upon the housetops to all the world "Then you will precipitate your confinement in the asylum of the Santo Spirito," said Giovanni, in cold, calm tones. "You are clearly mad." "So I said," assented Corona, who was nevertheless pale, and trembling with excitement. "Allow me to speak with her," said Giovanni, who, like most dangerous men, seemed to grow cold as others grew hot. Donna Tullia leaned upon the table, breathing hard between her closed teeth, her face scarlet. "Madame," said Giovanni, advancing a step and confronting her, you say that I am married, and that I am contemplating a monstrous crime. Upon what do you base your extraordinary assertions ?" "Upon attested copies of your marriage certificate, of the parish register where your handwriting has been seen and recognised. What more would you have?" "It is monstrous!" cried the Prince, advancing again. "It is the most abominable lie ever con cocted! My son married without my knowledge, and to a peasant! Absurd! But Giovanni waved his father back, and kept his place before Donna Tullia. "I give you the alternative of producing instantly those proofs you refer to," he said, "and which you certainly cannot produce, or of waiting in this house until a competent physician has decided whether you are sufficiently sane to be allowed to go home alone." Donna Tullia hesitated. She was in a terrible position, for Del Ferice had left Rome suddenly, and the papers were somewhere in his house, she knew not where, nor how to get at them. It was impossible to imagine a situation more desperate, and she felt it as she looked round and saw the pale dark faces of the three resolute persons whose anger she had thus roused. She believed that Gio. vanni was capable of anything, but she was astonished at his extraordinary calmness. She hesitated for a moment. "That is perfectly just," said Corona. "If you have proofs, you can produce them. If you have none you are insane." "I have them, and I will produce them before this hour tomorrow," answered Donna Tullia, not knowing how she should get the papers, but knowing that she was lost if she failed to obtain them. "Why not to-day-at once?" asked Giovanni, with some scorn. "It will take twenty-four hours to forge them," growled his father. "You have no right to insult me so grossly," cried Donna Tullia. "But beware-I have you in my power. By this time to-morrow you shall see with your own eyes that I speak the truth. Let me go," she cried, as the old Prince had known so long becoming placed himself between her and the door. "I will," said he. "But before you go, I beg you to observe that if between now and the time you show us these documents you breathe abroad one word of your accusation, I will have you arrested as a dangerous lunatic, and lodged in Santo Spirito; and if these papers are not authentic, you will be arrested to-morrow afternoon on a charge of forgery. You quite understand me?" He stood aside to let her pass. She laughed scornfully in his face, and went out. When she was gone the three looked at each other, as though trying to comprehend what had happened. Indeed, it was beyond their comprehension. Corona leaned against the chimneypiece, and her dark eyes rested lovingly upon Giovanni. No doubt had ever crossed her mind of his perfect honesty. Old Sarracinesca looked from one to the other for a moment, and then, striking the palms of his hands together, turned and began to walk up and down the room. "In the first place," said Gio. vanni, "at the time she speaks of I was in Canada, upon a shooting expedition, with a party of Englishmen. It is easy to prove that, as they are all alive and well now, so far as I have heard. Donna Tullia is clearly out of her mind." "The news of your engagement has driven her mad," said the old Prince, with a grim laugh. "It is a very interesting and romantic case. Corona blushed a little, and her eyes sought Giovanni's, but her face was very grave. It was a terrible thing to see a person she insane, and for the sake of the man she herself so loved. And yet she had not a doubt of Donna Tullia's madness. It was very sad. "I wonder who could have put this idea into her head," said Giovanni, thoughtfully. "It does not look like a creation of her own brain. I wonder, too, what absurdities she will produce in the way of documents. Of course they must be forged." "She will not bring them," returned his father, in a tone of certainty. "We shall hear tomorrow that she is raving in the delirium of a brain-fever." "Poor thing!" exclaimed Corona. "It is dreadful to think of it." "It is dreadful to think that she should have caused you all this trouble and annoyance," said Giovanni, warmly." You must have had a terrible scene with her before we came. What did she say?' Just what she said to you. Then she began to rail against you; and I sent for you, and told her that unless she could be silent I would lock her up alone until you arrived. So she sat down in that chair, and pretended to read. But it was an immense relief when you came!" "You did not once believe what she said might possibly be true?" asked Giovanni, with a loving look. "I? How could you ever think it!" exclaimed Corona. Then she laughed, and added," But of course you know that I would not." "Indeed yes," he answered. "It never entered my head." "By-the-by," said old Sarracinesca, glancing at the Duchessa's black bonnet and gloved hands, "you must have been just ready to go out when she came we must not keep you. I suppose that when she said she would bring her proofs to-morrow at this hour, she meant she would bring them here. Shall we come to-morrow, then? "Yes-by_all means," she answered. "Come to breakfast at one o'clock. I am alone, you know, for Sister Gabrielle has insisted upon going back to her community. But what does it matter now?" "What does it matter?" echoed the Prince. "You are to be married so soon. I really think we can do as we please." He generally did as he pleased. The two men left her, and a few minutes later she descended the steps of the palace and entered her carriage, as though nothing had happened. Six months had passed since she had given her troth to Giovanni upon the tower of Sarracinesca, and she knew that she loved him better now than then. Little had happened of interest in the interval of time, and the days had seemed long. But until after Christmas she remained at Astrardente, busying herself constantly with the improvements she had already begun, and aided by the councils of Giovanni. He had taken a cottage of hers in the lower part of her village, and had fitted it up with the few comforts he judged necessary. In this lodging he had generally spent half the week, going daily to the palace upon the hill and remaining for long hours in Corona's society, studying her plans and visiting with her the works which grew beneath their joint direction. She had grown to know him as she had not known him before, and to understand more fully his manly character. He was a very resolute man, and very much in earnest when he chanced to be doing anything; but the strain of She |