ifty new dresses
that Fabio d'Ascoli never marries again!"

He set his face once more toward the studio, and walked on without
stopping until he arrived at the master-sculptor's door.

"Marry again?" he thought to himself, as he rang the bell. "Donna
Brigida, was your first failure not enough for you? Are you going to try
a second time?"

Luca Lomi himself opened the door. He drew Father Rocco hurriedly into
the studio toward a single lamp burning on a stand near the partition
between the two rooms.

"Have you heard anything of our poor child?" he asked. "Tell me the
truth! tell me the truth at once!"

"Hush! compose yourself. I have heard," said Father Rocco, in low,
mournful tones.

Luca tightened his hold on the priest's arm, and looked into his face
with breathless, speechless eagerness.

"Compose yourself," repeated Father Rocco. "Compose yourself to hear the
worst. My poor Luca, the doctors have given up all hope."

Luca dropped his brother's arm with a groan of despair. "Oh, Maddalena!
my child--my only child!"

Reiterating these words again and again, he leaned his head against the
partition and burst into tears. Sordid and coarse as his nature was, he
really loved his daughter. All the heart he had was in his statues and
in her.

After the first burst of his grief was exhausted, he was recalled to
himself by a sensation as if some change had taken place in the lighting
of the studio. He looked up directly, and dimly discerned the priest
standing far down at the end of the room nearest the door, with the lamp
in his hand, eagerly looking at something.

"Rocco!" he exclaimed, "Rocco, why have you taken the lamp away? What
are you doing there?"

There was no movement and no answer. Luca advanced a step or two, and
called again. "Rocco, what are you doing there?"

The priest heard this time, and came suddenly toward his brother, with
the lamp in his hand--so suddenly that Luca started.

"What is it?" he asked, in astonishment. "Gracious God, Rocco, how pale
you are!"

Still the priest never said a word. He put the lamp down on the nearest
table. Luca observed that his hand shook. He had never seen his brother
violently agitated before. When Rocco had announced, but a few minutes
ago, that Maddalena's life was despaired of, it was in a voice which,
though sorrowful, was perfectly calm. What was the meaning of this
sudden panic--this strange, silent terror?

The priest observed that his brother