surface of her luxuriant hair. A
momentary spasm seemed to convulse the full and rounded form; and the
small, elegantly shaped foot which peered from beneath her flowing robe,
tapped the floor twice with involuntary movement.

Mistress as she usually was of even her most intense feelings, and
wonderfully habituated by circumstances to exercise the most complete
command over her emotions, she was now for an instant vanquished by the
gush of painful sentiments which crowded on her soul.

Francisco did not, however, observe that transitory evidence of acute
feeling on the part of his sister--a feeling which seemed to partake of
the nature of remorse, as if she were conscience-stricken!

For she loved her brother deeply--tenderly, but after the fashion of her
own wild and wonderful disposition--a love that was not calculated
always to prove friendly to his interests.

Francisco paced the room in an agitated manner.

At length he stopped near where his sister was standing, and intimated
to her that Flora might perhaps have repaired to the residence of her
aunt.

Nisida conveyed to him this answer: "The moment that I missed Flora ere
now, I dispatched a domestic to her aunt's cottage; but she has not been
there since Sunday last."

"Some treachery is at work here, Nisida," was the young count's
response. "Flora has not willingly absented herself."

At this moment Francisco's page entered the apartment to announce that
Dr. Duras was in the reception-room.

The young count made a sign to his sister to accompany him; and they
proceeded to the elegant saloon where the physician was waiting.

Having saluted the count and Nisida with his usual urbanity, Dr. Duras
addressed himself to the former, saying, "I have just learnt from your
lordship's page that the favorite attendant on your sister has most
unaccountably disappeared."

"And both Nisida and myself are at a loss what to conjecture, or how to
act," replied Francisco.

"Florence is at this moment the scene of dreadful crimes," observed the
physician. "Yesterday morning a young female was murdered by a near
neighbor of mine----"

"I was astounded when I heard of the arrest of Signor Wagner on such a
charge," interrupted the count. "He was latterly a frequent guest at
this house: although, I believe, you never happened to meet him here?"

"No," answered the physician; "but I saw him at the funeral of your
lamented father, and once or twice since in the garden a