from her lips; and the
boiling blood, after rushing to her countenance, seemed to ebb away as
rapidly again--leaving her beauteous face as pale as marble; while she
clung to the mantel-piece for support.

"I am glad that your lordship is returned," said the marquis, rising
from his seat and advancing toward the count in a manner so insolently
cool and apparently self-possessed, that Giulia was not only astonished
but felt her courage suddenly revive: "I was determined--however
uncourteous the intrusion and unseemly the hour--to await your
lordship's coming; and as her ladyship assured me that you would not
tarry late----"

"My lord marquis," interrupted the old nobleman, who was himself so
taken by surprise at this unembarrassed mode of address, that he began
to fancy his ears must have deceived him and his suspicions beguiled
him; "on what business could you possibly have needed my services at
this late hour?"

"I will explain myself," returned Orsini, who was a perfect adept in the
art of dissimulation, and who, never losing his presence of mind,
embraced at a glance the whole danger of Giulia's position and his own,
and the probability that their conversation might have been overheard;
"I was explaining to her ladyship the temporary embarrassment under
which I lay, and from which I hoped that your friendship might probably
release me----"

"And her ladyship spoke of her diamonds--did she not?" demanded the
count, addressing himself to the marquis, but fixing a keen and
penetrating glance on Giulia.

"Her ladyship was remonstrating with me on my extravagancies," hastily
replied the marquis, "and was repeating to me--I must say in a manner
too impressive to be agreeable--the words which my own sister had used
to me a few days ago, when explaining, as her motive for refusing me the
succor which I needed, that she actually had been compelled to pledge
her diamonds----"

"Ah! they were your sister's diamonds that were pledged to Isaachar the
Jew?" said the count, half ironically and half in doubt; for he was
fairly bewildered by the matchless impudence of the young marquis.

"Yes, my lord--my dear sister, who, alas! is ruining herself to supply
me with the means of maintaining my rank. And as my sister and her
ladyship, the countess, are on the most friendly terms, as you are well
aware, it is not surprising if she should have communicated the secret
of the diamonds to her ladyship, and also beg her ladyship to