ss on her part might impair the
resolution necessary to execute the purpose which she had in
view--Nisida dashed away the tears from her long lashes, hastily quitted
the room.

Having traversed the other two apartments of her own suit, she cast a
searching glance along the passage which she now entered; and, satisfied
that none of the domestics were about, for it was not yet six o'clock on
that winter's morning, she hastened to the end of the corridor.

The lamp flared with the speed at which she walked; and its uncertain
light enhanced the pallor that now covered her countenance.

At the bottom of the passage she cautiously opened the door, and entered
the room with which it communicated.

This was the sleeping apartment of her brother.

A single glance convinced her that he was wrapt in the arms of slumber.

He slept soundly too--for he was wearied with the vigil which he had
passed by the death-bed of his father--worn out also by the thousand
conflicting and unsatisfactory conjectures that the last instructions of
his parent had naturally excited in his mind.

He had not, however, been asleep a quarter of an hour when Nisida stole,
in the manner described, into his chamber.

A smile of mingled joy and triumph animated her countenance, and a
carnation tinge flushed her cheeks when she found he was fast locked in
the embrace of slumber.

Without a moment's hesitation, she examined his doublet, and clutched
the key that his father had given to him scarcely six hours before.

Then, light as the fawn, she left the room.

Having retraced her steps half-way up the passage, she paused at the
door of the chamber in which the corpse of her father lay.

For an instant--a single instant--she seemed to revolt from the
prosecution of her design, then, with a stern contraction of the brows,
and an imperious curl of the lip--as if she said within herself, "_Fool
that I am to hesitate!_"--she entered the room.

Without fear--without compunction, she approached the bed. The body was
laid out: stretched in its winding sheet, stiff and stark did it seem to
repose on the mattress--the countenance rendered more ghastly than even
death could make it, by the white band which tied up the under jaw.

The nurse who had thus disposed the corpse, had retired to snatch a few
hours of rest; and there was consequently no spy upon Nisida's actions.

With a fearless step she advanced toward the closet--the mysterious
closet relative