n to
grow sick with the fear of disappointment in respect to his plan of
obtaining the diamonds of his mistress.

"And Stephano Verrina took them from me--basely, vilely, wrenched them
as it were from my grasp!" continued the Jew.

"'Tis false! a miserable subterfuge on your part!" ejaculated the
marquis, starting from his seat and striding in a menacing manner toward
Isaachar ben Solomon.

"'Tis true!--I will give your lordship the proof!" cried the Jew: and
Manuel fell back a few paces. "Stephano came and told me all. He said
that the countess had pledged her jewels for the sake of her lover--of
you, my lord--you, the Marquis of Orsini. 'Twas to pay a gambling debt
which your lordship had contracted; and that debt was paid within an
hour or two from the moment when the sum was advanced on the diamonds.
Moreover," continued Isaachar, still speaking in a rapid, excited
tone--"moreover, Stephano was hired by the countess to regain them from
me!"

"Liar!" thundered the marquis, again rushing toward the defenseless old
man.

"Patience, my lord--patience for an instant--and you will see that I am
no utterer of base falsehoods. The robber-captain examined the diamonds
carefully--yes, most carefully--and, while occupied in the scrutiny, he
let drop expressions which convinced me that he was hired by the
countess. 'The inventory is complete,' he said, 'just as it was
described to me by her ladyship. You are a worthy man, Isaachar,' he
added; 'you will have restored tranquillity to the mind of this
beautiful countess; and she will be enabled to appear at court to-morrow
with her husband.' Now does your lordship believe me?"

The marquis was staggered; for several minutes he made no answer. Was it
possible that the Countess of Arestino could have employed the dreaded
chieftain of the Florentine banditti to wrest her diamonds from the
possession of Isaachar? or had the Jew invented the tale for an obvious
purpose? The latter alternative scarcely seemed feasible. How could
Isaachar have learned that the sum raised was for the payment of a
gambling debt? Giulia would not have told him so. Again, how had he
learned that this debt had been paid within an hour or two after the
money was procured? and how had he ascertained that the countess had
actually required her diamonds to accompany her husband the count?

"Perdition!" ejaculated Orsini, bewildered by conflicting ideas,
suspicions, and alarms: and he paced the room with