the event which I have just related. If the
mysterious visitress were a common thief, why did she leave any of the
jewels in the casket? and wherefore had she on two occasions
contemplated me with looks of such dark rage and infernal menace? A
thought struck me. Could the count's daughter have discovered our
_amour_? and was it she who had come to gain possession of jewels
belonging to the family? I hinted my suspicions to Margaretha; but she
speedily convinced me that they were unfounded.

"'The Lady Nisida is deaf and dumb,' she said, 'and cannot possibly
exercise such faculties of observation, nor adopt such means of
obtaining information as would make her acquainted with all that has
occurred between her father and yourself. Besides--she is constantly in
attendance on her sire, who is very, very ill.

"I now perceived the improbability of a deaf and dumb female discovering
an _amour_ so carefully concealed; but to assure myself more fully on
that head, I desired Margaretha to describe the Lady Nisida. This she
readily did, and I learnt from her that the count's daughter was of a
beauty quite different from the lady whom I had seen in the church and
in my own chamber. In a word, it appears that Nisida has light hair,
blue eyes and a delicate form: whereas, the object of my interest,
curiosity, and fear, is a woman of dark Italian loveliness.

"I have little more now to say. The loss of the jewels and the
recollection of the mysterious lady were soon absorbed in the
distressing thoughts which the serious illness of the count forced upon
my mind. Weeks passed away, and he came not; but he sent repeated
messages by Antonio, imploring me to console myself, as he should soon
recover, and urging me not to take any step that might betray the
existence of our _amour_. Need I say how religiously I obeyed him in the
latter respect? Day after day did I hope to see him again, for I knew
not that he was dying: and I used to dress myself in my gayest
attire--even as now I am appareled--to welcome his expected visit. Alas!
he never came; and his death was concealed from me, doubtless that the
sad event might not be communicated until after the funeral, lest in the
first frenzy of anguish I should rush to the Riverola palace to imprint
a last kiss upon the cheek of the corpse. But a few hours ago, I learned
the whole truth from two female friends of Dame Margaretha who called to
visit her, and whom I had hastened to inform that s