man is bestowing his
blessings."

"How savage I should be if I were the Lady Beatrice, not to be able to
come to the wedding after all," broke in the giddy Bianca. "She reckoned
fully upon it, too, they say, and had caused her dress for the ceremony
to be prepared--one to rival the bride's in splendor."

"She has enough to do with her newly-born infant," mumbled the good
duenna. "Gayety first, care afterwards; a christening usually follows a
wedding. Come, girls, there's nothing more to see."

"Nay, mother mine, some of these dames that follow lack not beauty."

"Pish!" uttered a fair young girl who had hitherto been silent; "it
would be waste of time to look at their faces after the Lady
Adelaide's."

"Who is that going away? The Signora Montani? Why, it has not all
passed, signora. She is gone, I declare! What a curious girl she seems,
that."

"Do you know what they say?" cried little Lisa, Bianca's cousin.

"What do they say?"

"That her mother is a descendant of those dreadful people over the sea,
who have no religion, the heretics."

The pious duenna boxed her niece's ears.

"You sinful little monkey, to utter such heresy!" she cried, when anger
allowed her to speak.

"So they do say so!" sobbed the young lady, dancing about with the
passion she dared not otherwise vent. "And people _do_ say," she
continued, out of bravado, and smarting under the pain, "that they are
heretics themselves, or else why do they never come to mass?"

"The old Signora Montani is bedridden; how could she get to mass?"
laughed Bianca.

"Don't answer her, Bianca. If she says such a thing here again--if she
insinuates that the Signora Gina, knowing herself to be in such league
with the Evil One, would dare to put her head inside a faithful house
such as this, I will cause her to do public penance--the wicked little
calumniator!" concluded the good duenna, adding a few finishing strokes
upon Lisa's ears.

III.

Long lasted the bridal banquet, and merrily it sped. Ere its conclusion,
and when the hours were drawing towards midnight, the young Lady
Adelaide, attended by her maidens, was conducted to her
dressing-chamber, according to the custom of the times and of the
country. She sat down in front of a large mirror whilst they disrobed
her. They took the circlet of diamonds from her head, the jewels from
her neck and arms, and the elegant bridal dress was carefully removed;
and there she sat, in a dressing-robe of cambri