urned to embrace Flora with the
liveliest manifestations of joy, which the young maiden sincerely
shared--for escape now appeared to be at hand.

The aperture was rapidly enlarged by those who worked on the other side,
and in a few minutes it was spacious enough to admit the passage of a
human form. Then Giulia and Flora quitted their dismal cell, and entered
the innermost chamber of the robbers' hold, but from which the treasures
described in a previous chapter had all been removed away.

Giulia embraced the marquis with grateful affection; but Stephano
exclaimed, "Come, my lord! Remember your oath, and join us in this
expedition to the end!"

At that moment the awful tragedy of the night flashed back to Flora's
memory, from which nothing could have dispelled it even for an instant,
save the thrilling excitement attendant on the escape from the convent;
and in a few hurried words, she told the dreadful tale.

But what was the astonishment of all present, when Piero, one of the
banditti, exclaimed in a tone of mingled rage and grief, "'Tis Carlotta!
the victim can be none other--the dates you have mentioned, signora,
convince me! Yes--five months ago she fled from that accursed
convent--and yesterday she disappeared. Ah! my poor Carlotta!"

And the rude but handsome brigand wept.

Flora, forgetting the danger of re-entering the walls of the terrible
institution, exclaimed, "Follow me--it may not be too late--I will show
you the cell----"

And she once more passed through the aperture, closely followed by
Stephano, Piero, Lomellino, and a dozen other banditti. The Marquis of
Orsini stayed behind a few moments, to breathe a reassuring word to
Giulia, whom he left in the treasure chamber (as that apartment of the
robbers' hold was called), and then hastened after those who had
penetrated into the subterrane of the convent.

The party entered the chamber of penitence, where the long wax candles
were still burning before the altar; and Flora having hastily given
Stephano as much information as she could relative to the geography of
the place, that chieftain placed sentinels around. Flora had already
pointed out the door of the dungeon to which Carlotta had been
consigned; and Piero hastened to call upon his mistress to answer him.

It was a touching spectacle to behold that lawless and bold, bad man
melting into tenderness beneath the influence of love!

But no reply came from within that dungeon; and though the b