ming trait in the
character of this wondrous woman, of a mind so darkly terrible.

And for her brother's sake it was that there was one sacrifice--a
sacrifice of a tremendous, but painfully persevered-in project--which
she would not make even to her love for Fernand Wagner! No, rather would
she renounce him forever--rather would she perish, consumed by the
raging fires of her own ungratified passions, than sacrifice one tittle
of what she deemed to be her brother's welfare to any selfish feeling of
her own!

Wherefore do we dwell on this subject now?

Because such was the resolution which Nisida vowed within her own heart,
as she stood alone in her chamber, and fixed her eyes upon a document,
bearing the ducal seal that lay upon the table.

That document contained the decision of his highness in respect to the
memorial which she had privately forwarded to him in accordance with the
advice given her a few days previously by Dr. Duras. The duke lost no
time in vouchsafing a reply; and this reply was unfavorable to the hopes
of Nisida. His highness refused to interfere with the provisions of the
late count's will; and this decision was represented to be final.

Therefore it was that Nisida solemnly vowed within herself to persevere
in a course so long ago adopted, and ever faithfully, steadily, sternly
adhered to since the day of its commencement; and, as if to confirm
herself in the strength of this resolution, she turned her eyes with
adoring, worshiping look toward the portrait of her maternal parent,
those eloquent, speaking orbs seeming almost to proclaim the words which
her lips could not utter, "Yes, mother--sainted mother! thou shalt be
obeyed!"

Then she hastily secured the ducal missive in an iron box where she was
in the habit of keeping her own private papers, and which opened with a
secret spring.

But did she, then, mean to renounce her love for Wagner? Did she
contemplate the terrible alternative of abandoning him in his
misfortune, in his dungeon?

No--far from that! She would save him if she could; she would secure him
to herself, if such were possible; but she would not sacrifice to these
objects the one grand scheme of her life, that scheme which had formed
her character as we now find it, and which made her stand alone, as it
were, among the millions of her own sex!

And it was to put into execution the plan which she had devised to
effect Wagner's freedom, that she was now arming herself wit