place;--and what opportunity could be more
favorable than the one which that lady herself afforded by the
appointment she had given him for the Sunday evening at the gate of
Saint Mary's Cathedral?

All these considerations had determined the bandit to adopt speedy and
strenuous measures to possess himself of Nisida, of whom he was so madly
enamored that the hope of gratifying his passion predominated even over
the pride and delight he had hitherto experienced in commanding the
Florentine robbers.

The appointed evening came; and Stephano, disguised in his black mask,
repaired a few minutes before ten to the immediate vicinity of the old
cathedral. At the corner of an adjacent street, two men, mounted on
powerful horses, and holding a third steed by the bridle, were in
readiness; and, crouched in the black darkness formed by the shade of a
huge buttress of the cathedral, two members of the troop which Lomellino
now commanded lay concealed--for the new captain of banditti had lent
some of his stanchest followers to further the designs of the
ex-chieftain.

A heavy rain had fallen in the early part of the day; but it ceased ere
the sun went down; and the stars shone forth like beauty's eyes when the
tears of grief have been wiped away by the lips of the lover.

Stephano paced the arena in front of the sacred edifice; and at length a
gentle tread and a rustling of velvet met his ears. Then, in a few
moments, as if emerging from the darkness, the majestic form of Nisida
appeared; and when Stephano approached her, she drew aside her veil for
an instant--only for a single instant, that he might convince himself of
her identity with the lady for whom he was waiting.

But as the light of the silver stars beamed for a moment on the
countenance of Nisida, that mild and placid luster was out-vied by the
dazzling brilliancy of her large black eyes: and mental excitement had
imparted a rich carnation hue to her cheek, rendering her so
surpassingly beautiful that Stephano could almost have fallen on his
knees to worship and adore her. But, oh! what lovely skins do some
snakes wear!--and into what charming shapes does satan often get!

Nisida had replaced her veil while yet Verrina's eyes were fixed on her
bewitching countenance; then, placing her finger lightly upon his
arm--oh! how that gentle touch thrilled through him!--she made a sign
for him to follow her toward a niche in the deep gateway of the
cathedral: for in that ni