in his veins. The Council of the Ten had that very
same night passed sentence of death upon the leaders of the conspiracy
who had been seized. They were strangled, and suspended from the
balcony at the side of the Palace overlooking the Piazzetta, the one
whence the Doge was in the habit of witnessing all ceremonies,--and
where, alas! Antonio had hovered in the air before the lovely
Annunciata, and where she had received from him the nosegay of flowers.
Amongst the corpses were those of Marino Bodoeri and Bertuccio Nenolo.
Two days later old Marino Falieri was sentenced to death by the Council
of Ten, and executed on the so-called Giant Stairs of the Palace.

Antonio wandered about unconsciously, like a man in a dream; no one
laid hands upon him, for no one recognised him as having been of the
number of the conspirators. On seeing old Falieri's grey head fall, he
started up, as it were, out of his death-like trance. With a most
unearthly scream--with the shout, "Annunciata!" he rushed storming in
the Palace, and along the passages. Nobody stopped him; the guards, as
if stupefied by the terrible thing that had just taken place, only
stared after him. The old crone came to meet him, loudly lamenting and
complaining; she seized his hand and--a few steps more, and along with
her he entered Annunciata's room. There she lay, poor thing, on the
couch, as if already dead. Antonio rushed towards her and covered her
hands with burning kisses, calling her by the sweetest and tenderest
names.

Then she slowly opened her lovely heavenly eyes and saw Antonio; at
first, however, it appeared as if it cost her an effort to call him to
mind; but speedily she raised herself up, threw both her arms around
his neck, and drew him to her bosom, showering down her hot tears upon
him and kissing his cheeks--his lips. "Antonio--my Antonio--I love you,
oh! more than I can tell you--yes, yes, there _is_ a heaven on earth.
What are my father's and my uncle's and my husband's death in
comparison with the blissful joy of your love? Oh! let us flee--flee
from this scene of blood and murder." Thus spake Annunciata, her heart
rent by the bitterest anguish, as well as by the most passionate love.
Amid thousands of kisses and never-ending tears, the two lovers
mutually swore eternal fidelity; and, forgetting the fearful events of
the terrible day that was past, they turned their eyes from the earth
and looked up into the heaven which the spirit of love h