have drawn of don Ambrofio, and thing,' faid the worthless Leopold.

this is the refolution I have formed on viewing it never to be his nor can the ftory of my father's last requeft to you, nor the anathemas you threaten me with, alter my determination. He, whofe omniprefent eye fees into the ininoft receffes of the darkest heart can penetrate the bafe affaffin's fecret haunts, and beholds his most wary actions, will not fuffer the child of the late marchefe of Palermo ever to unite herfelf with don Ambrofio de Montalvan.-Zingarefca, open the door, and go with me to the caftle.-Father Leopold, you return there no more.'

A veffel is waiting to convey you from Sicily the moment the ceremo ny is over. The validity of the marriage will never be doubted ;-for who will difbelieve the folemn teftimony of your father's domeftic chaplain; of this refpectable woman, and of thefe fimple, honeft people; while you can have no witnefs in your behalf, and your own affirmation will not be fufficient in law ?'

I did,' replied that treacherous woman,. and alfo heard the last commands of the deceased marchefe to this holy man. To fee them obeyed I came hither, and fhall not move until the will of my dear late, lord is fulfilled.'

Viola burst into tears, and, in a voice of agony, demanded if Spain's bouited hero could act fuch a perfidious part?

Ambrofio was filent; her, conduct during this fcene of villany had charmed him to enthufiafin: he admired, adored her, even more than he had before done; and the good properties of his foul, awakened by. the example he gave him, would have urged him on to the fide of ho nour, had not fome words fhe emphatically. uttered told him must horribly that he had nothing to hope from her.. Perfidy and force were, therefore all he had now to depend upon ;and vengeance for the fufpicions the. fo unaccountably entertained urged him to perfeverance in this fcheme of: villany.

Zingarefca now grafped Viola round the waift, to fix her to the spot. near Ambrofio's chair. Leopold be-: gan the marriage ceremony; and Ambrofio was just placing the ring upon her finger, in fpite of her ihrieks, her firuggles, her agony almoft amounting to phrenfy, when the door of the hut was burfi in, and. the archbishop of Montical and Clementipa entered. Viola flew into the arms of her reverend uncle, who, cafting a look of menace at the perfidious wretches there affembled, bore his lovely and agitated niece to his carriage, which was near, and with her and Clementina drove off inftantly to the caftle..

When Viola left the caftle with

Leopold,

t

2

prelate retired to reft, he visited his wards, and told them, he thould take them on the morrow to St. Rofolia's, there to remain while don Ambrofio continued in Sicily, fince he was now convinced it would be lefs injurious to his beloved Viola's peace and health to be where every fcene around her would feed her unceafing grief for her incompa rable mother, than to remain expofed to the dreadful apprehenfion of new outrage; and as soon as he had delivered them into the protection of the abbadeffa of St. Rofolia's, he fhould take proper meafures for the punishment of the vile Leopold and his accomplices'; and with a paternal embrace, and a most fervent benediction, this amiable man parted from his beloved wards, never more in this life to behold them.

Leopold, Clementina was engaged writing to fome of her friends at St. Rofolia's; and when he had completed her letters, and fought her couin, the learned that the marchefa was gone out with Leopold and Zingareica, two perfons whom Clementina believedl capable of any mifchiet. Viola's going out with them, unknown to herself, increafed her fuf· picions of perfidy, which the fçarcely knew what had before awakened. Their long abience augmented her alarms; and in the reflefs roving --humour her anxiety worked her into, fhe ftrayed out of the caftlegrounds upon the fea-fhore, towards the Lut, to where fear and fufpicion pointed. Footsteps, which the now faw upon the fands, confirmed her apprelientions, and the almoft flew to the hut, where, the moment the arrived, fhe heard the found of her beloved Viola's voice in cadences of diftrefs. Clementina trove in vain to gain admittance; her knocks and cails were difregarded or unheard, from the tumult within. The piteous fhrieks of Viola at length appalled the ears of Clementina, who reechoed, them with increafed violence, as the frantically ran round and round the hut in fearch of a place to enter by. In this moment of agonifed diftrefs fhe heard the found of a carriage coming the road from Palermo, which wound at, no very confiderable diftance from the hovel. Wildly and impetuously the darted into the highway to meet the carriage and implore affiftance; when oh rapture! fhe beheld the equipage of her guardian, who, unexpected, by any one, was ; returning to the caftle in fearch of papers neceffary for the completion of the bufinefs he was engaged in.

No

The eftimable prelate of Montreal was found next morning a clay-cold corpfe by his old cameriro. mark of violence appeared about him; yet the moment of his death, with the extraordinary circumftance of no one belonging to the church appearing to pay the due refpect and go through the requitite forms upon tue. demife of fuch an illuftrious catholic, might have introduced fufpicion into the minds of the lovely coufins, had not grief and horror fo totally occupied their thoughts that they minded not the fingularity of the dead calm that reigned through the caftle, that no one appeared from Palermo or St. Rofolia's. Viola had ordered expreffes to go with the fatal intelligence to the chapter of the archbishop's diocefe, to Palermo, and St. Rofolia's; and to summon dottore Balfamico to her uncle's truly worthy valet, who had fallen into a fit upon difcovering Viola was fo completely fubdued the dreadful calamity, and had been by agitation and terror, that fhe was conveyed to his chamber dangerously compelled to retire to her chamber the ill; and after this exertion the marmoment she got home, where Cle- chefa funk upon the bofom of the mentina remained with her almoft fympathifing Clementina, fo comthe whole day; and before the good,pletely fubdued by grief and difmay

that fie could only weep, and la- to procure a vessel to convey us fement with her cousin the dreadful cretly away, whither can we goiblow they had just sustained.

We have no friends, no protectors, Totally absorpt in forrow, they in any country we can fly to.' could not lessen the food offered by Yes,' replied Clementina, we the officious domestics, and soon at Mall find both a friend and protector ter the untouched dinner was remove at Naples.' ed, Clementina providentially observe -:At Naples! Who? ed a letter lying at her feet, which, • The duchessa di Manfredonia, the upon opening, she found contain protector of the unfortunate, the these words, almost unintelligibly friend of the destitutė. I know her written :

character well, from a Neapolitan HONOURED LADIES, girl who came to St. Rosolia's after • I am grieved to say villany is at you left it. The ducheffa is amiable, work. All who could protect have sensible, and compassionate : we will been removed by bad means, and fly to her, tell her our distress; the this castle is not one moment longer will protect and place us in a safe a place of safety for the innocent.' asylum. Since the death of her onCHAP. LVII.

ly fon and his wife, she has deserted

the castle of Manfredonia, and reVIOLA and Clementina were fides entirely at Naples. Her grandthrown into the utmost consternation, sun, the prefent duca, a wonderfully Suspicion once awakened, they clear- amiable and learned man, chiefly ly saw their danger. Struck with lives with her; and he will prove a the conviction of their guardian hav- powerful auxiliary to us.' ing been destroyed by the visitation My dear ardent coufin, you make of a mortal hand, that the schemes of your arrangements as if no obstacle the diabolical Leopold and Ambrosia could impede your way; but confimight meet no further oppolition, the der, would it be quite consistent with imminence and magnitude of the pe- delicacy for us to intrude for protecrils which threatened them, suspended tion where we know this young and, their grief for a time, and every idea as I suppose, unmarried duca retides?' of their minds was now called into • Yes, I know he is unmarried; council upon measures for escaping but his living at the duchessa's cannot the dangers which encompassed them. possibly effect our delicacy, since he

It was evident by their hearing no- is quite an old man.' thing from St. Rosolia's, that the ex- Her grandson fo old !-Then press had not been allowed to reach surely the must be superannuated, or the place of destination ; and this at least inactive, and could be of no circumstance clearly evinced their in- service to us.' tercourse being cut off, and that they • Indeed the is not: she is a wonwould not be allowed to receive suc- derful woman ; and although certaincour from thence, or from the city.- ly

very old, age seems to have had no Neither could they possibly expect effect upon her mind, but to expand that any attempt of theirs to gain Pu- the powers of her understanding, and lermo or the convent, could be suc- to enlarge her benevolence.' cessful ; and after much painful deli The duchessa di Manfredonia beberation, they were both convinced ing the only person out of Sicily or that their only hope of safety would Lilbon, whole character and refibe in immediate fight from Sicily. dence they were acquainted with,

• But even could we, my Clemen- these two unfortunate and fingularly tina,' faid the marchesa, 'contrive destitute young and totally unexperi,

esced women, at length determined, ly provided for, and that man is the could they effect their escape, to go only one amongst them I will confide to Naples, and throw themselves up- in.' on her goodness for protection ; but . And on that man's faith will I in which to confide the arrangement risk my life,' said Clementina. for their escape was a matter of great- Having now determined upon the er difficulty itill. They had reason only plan of fafety which appeared to fufpect the fidelity of every one ; within their power, they exerted all and the perfidy of Zingaresca taught their ingenuity to obtain an interview them that even the most specious with Bernardo, unobserved by those were capable of treachery.

spies they doubted not were every • Alas!" said Clementina ; and where around them. They accomamongst the numbers in this castle plithed that difficult and hazardous who have lived by your father's boun- project: and Bernardo strongly rety, and some have received lignal commended their flight that very (avours from him, there now is not niglit. one whom his unhappy child can Bernardo's intelleéts being held in with confidence apply to for assist. sovereign contempt by the other doance!'

meftics, he was thought incapable of • No! replied Viola, blushing observation, and they fcrupled not to for human nature ; no, not one hold their cabals in ambiguous senamong those whom gratitude to my tences before him, believing them infather ought to attach to me! But comprehensible to him. But they there is in the calle a man of sullen were deceived in Bernardo, who poltemper, and unfortunate appearance, fessed acute observation, a clear unwho at an early period of my father's derstanding, and a feeling heart.life fived him from perithing in the From the extreme deformity of his fea, at imminent peril 10 bimself; figure, he early became an object for which noble and humane action, I derision to the unthinking and profliam grieved to say, met its only re- gate. His sensitive senlibility made ward in the consciousness of having him fhrink from ridicule; taught him done his duty, and saved a fello wo to fhun society, and retire within

a creature from destruction. Ny fa- himself; and, in the end, the keenther's heart was turned by his favou- ness of his feelings changed him insites from Bernardo his preserver. to the morose and apparendy ftupeHe was taught to think ill of him, fied misanthrope. He had caught, and therefore hardly used hiin; and from what he had heard that day, I am shocked to think, that on every sufficient to convince himn that the occafion Bernardo's comfort was marchellit and her cousin were to be fince unheeded, and the misery of his carried off whilst in their present un vaffalage augmented by the barbed protected ftate; and reflexion and arrow of ingratitude. Upon my ar- obfervation led him to believe that tival here, after the decease of my the archbishop had been unfairly refather, all the domestics hailed me moved ; and interest for his dear with fawning servility, and elaborate young lady taught him how to maspeeches, except Bernardo, who then nage the conveyance of that billet appeared not, I afterwards acciden- which roused her to a sense of her tally met him : he looked mournful- danger. ly at ine, built into tears, and, with- The fufpicions of Bernardo were out speaking, precipitately retired.-- too well grounded. As the good and That man, I told my dear deceased virtuous are impelled by Tympathy uncle, should be the first in my fami- to friendship, fu villang-aloon finds

its counterpart. During the illness his fleeping victim, who awoke in
of the marchefe of Palermo, Am- that biefed paradife where his virtues
brofio and Leopold formed a league placed him. By holding a down bed
of intereft we cannot degrade friend- tight over him, they effected their
flip by calling the cement which binds diabolical purpose, and leit no trace
the vicious to each other by that facred of murder. Leopold, not choofing
name. The marchefe died without that the death of the archbishop
leaving any provifion for his once thould tranfpire at Palermo until the
favourite parafite, and Leopold there- fucceeding day, took his measures
fore determined to provide for him- accordingly. There was a veffel
felf. He undertook to effect an uni- belonging to Ambrofio in readiness
on between the young marchefa and to convey them to Spain and in the
Ambrofio, for which fervice the dead of night Viola and Clementina
third of her wealth was to be his. were to be carried off.
The venal domeftics, all his own
creatures, placed in the fervice of the
marchefe at his recommendation,
were eafily fecured; and upon failure
of the first attempt at the fifherman's
hut, by the interpofition of the good
archbishop, Leopold refolved to pre-
vent fuch another unexpected refcue
by the murder of Viola's only pro-

tector.

The wary Leopold, ever commiting crimes, was always provided with falvos. The murder of the archbishop was a dangerous enterprife; but he was too well verfed in all the chicanery of prieftcraft not to be guarded against contingencies, he was therefore always armed with indulgences of every description, and abfolutions for all the fins he ever did or ever thould commit. Ambiofio, too, was by his means equally well fortified. Yet, notwithstanding thefe infallible talifmanic treafures, Leopold determined to act fecretly, nor to allow the eye of fufpicion to glance at him. He therefore, by a fubterraneous paffage, re-entered the caftle, where Viola had forbid his return; and remaining there in fecret, he had a fufficient quantity of opium infufed in the archbishop's wine at fapper to caufe profound fleep, but did not attempt enough for death, left it should fail, and poifon would tell tales: but-going more fecretly to work, he and one of his moft devoted creatures entered the chamber of

Bernado had a relation, a fifherman, who lived at no great distance from the caftle; and this man, whofe name was Stephano, he engaged to be ready with his battello near the mouth of a cave upon the fhore, which communicated with the caftle by the fame fubterraneous paffage Leopold had benefited by.

At an hour earlier than usual, Viola, pleading indifpofition, retired to bed, and difmiffed her atendants for the night, as Clementine was to fleep with her. The moinnt her wafaad parted, the marchofa arose; and, quickly redreffing, took all the money and jewels her cabine contained, and with Clementina proceeded to follow Bernardo's directions. From Viola's dreffing-room there was a door of communication which led to one of the caftle towers, that from fome ancient tradition was reported to be haunted, for which reafon none of the domeftics ever approached it. Quickly they defcended the staircase of this tower, which led them into the vaults of the caftle, where Bernardo, difguifed as a pefcatore, was waiting for them; and who now fafely conducted the trembling fugitives through the fubterraneous way to the cave where Stephano was pofted. In two hampers were Viola and Clementina conveyed on board the fishing-fmack by Stephano and Bernardo; and pioufly invoking the care of Providence, they instantly put