festival of their Lord's
resurrection in a worthy manner, and to behold the pomp of worship
returning, glad that after the days of severe fasting, after the
saddening representations of suffering and sorrow, they might now
comfort themselves with the feeling of a new life springing forth from
the grave.

The first part of the divine service was already over, when people
were astonisht to see Antonio Cavalcanti stepping into the church by
the side of the altar, leading a thickly veiled figure in his hand. He
placed the figure on the raised pavement just in face of Pietro, and
then threw himself down before the altar praying. The muffled form
remained standing stiff and high, and beneath the covering one saw the
firy black eyes. Pietro lifted himself from his seat, and sank back
into it pale and trembling. The music of the mass now gusht and rolled
in fuller symphonies; the muffled form disentangled itself slowly from
its veils; the face became free; and those who were nearest with
horrour recognized the dead Crescentia. A shudder passed through the
whole church; even over those who were furthest off a secret shivering
crept, to see the image pale as death standing so tall there, and
praying so fervently, and never turning her large burning eyes from
the priest at the altar. Even the great mighty Pietro himself seemed
changed into a corpse; from his distorted features one might have held
him to be dead, but that his life betrayed itself in his violent
trembling.

Now the priest turned round and lifted up the consecrated host;
trumpets announced the renewed presence of the Lord; and with a voice
of triumph, with a face of high transport, her arms widely outspread,
as she cried aloud "Hosannah!" so that the church resounded with it,
the pale apparition dropt down, and lay dead, stiff, and motionless,
before Pietro's feet.

The people rusht forward; the music stopt; curiosity, astonishment,
horrour, and affright spake from every asking countenance; the nobles
and students went up to comfort and support the venerable old man, who
appeared so deeply shockt; when Antonio with a yelling sound shouted:
"Murder! Murder!" and began the most fearful charge, the most
appalling tale, unfolded the hellish arts, the accursed magic of the
dismayed sinner, spake of himself and of Crescentia and of their awful
meeting again, until anger and rage and imprecations and loathing and
curses raved like a stormy sea around the criminal, and