s. He then recommenced his infamous
attempts upon Beatrice, and with such persistence, that she resolved
herself to accomplish the deed which at first she desired to entrust to
other hands.

Olympio and Marzio, who had nothing to fear from justice, remained
lurking about the castle; one day Beatrice saw them from a window, and
made signs that she had something to communicate to them. The same
night Olympio, who having been castellan knew all the approaches to the
fortress, made his way there with his companion. Beatrice awaited them
at a window which looked on to a secluded courtyard; she gave them
letters which she had written to her brother and to Monsignor Guerra.
The former was to approve, as he had done before, the murder of their
father; for she would do nothing without his sanction. As for Monsignor
Guerra, he was to pay Olympio a thousand piastres, half the stipulated
sum; Marzio acting out of pure love for Beatrice, whom he worshipped as
a Madonna; which observing, the girl gave him a handsome scarlet mantle,
trimmed with gold lace, telling him to wear it for love of her. As for
the remaining moiety, it was to be paid when the death of the old man
had placed his wife and daughter in possession of his fortune.

The two sbirri departed, and the imprisoned conspirators anxiously
awaited their return. On the day fixed, they were seen again. Monsignor
Guerra had paid the thousand piastres, and Giacomo had given his
consent. Nothing now stood in the way of the execution of this terrible
deed, which was fixed for the 8th of September, the day of the Nativity
of the Virgin; but Signora Lucrezia, a very devout person, having
noticed this circumstance, would not be a party to the committal of a
double sin; the matter was therefore deferred till the next day, the
9th.

That evening, the 9th of September, 1598, the two women, supping
with the old man, mixed some narcotic with his wine so adroitly that,
suspicious though he was, he never detected it, and having swallowed the
potion, soon fell into a deep sleep.

The evening previous, Marzio and Olympio had been admitted into the
castle, where they had lain concealed all night and all day; for, as
will be remembered, the assassination would have been effected the day
before had it not been for the religious scruples of Signora Lucrezia
Petroni. Towards midnight, Beatrice fetched them out of their
hiding-place, and took them to her father's chamber, the door of which
she