nt, unfortunate: and stupid--and the proof is any
harm I have done to others is nothing to that I have wrought to myself."

Antonino, taking the pocketbook--a dainty article in Russian
leather--went to the oaken chest which he opened after what seemed some
cabalistic manipulation, and the muttering of what seemed an "Open
Sesame!"

"Have you no safe yet, is that box strong and secure?" she inquired in a
tone of well assumed anxiety, as she hurriedly took three or four steps
to bring her again beside him.

"You need not be alarmed. That is a box of which we made the peculiar
fastenings. It is too heavy to be carried off, and burglars will not
tamper with it in impunity," said the Italian, smiling maliciously, as
he put his hand on the lid to raise it.

"I understand; it opens with a secret lock?"

"Yes; one I cannot tell you about."

"I have no use for it," she said hastily, "on the contrary, I wish the
money to be where I cannot touch it."

"Nobody will touch it there," returned the young man gravely. "Stop! how
will you get it if anything happens to me--if I should die?"

"A young man like you die in a couple of days!" laughed Cesarine.

"It may occur," he replied gloomily. "Death has hovered over this house
at any moment of some of our experiments with the most powerful essences
of nature. And only this morning, when I was out to the post-office,
they were talking of a hideous discovery--a young man's remains, found
in a ditch in the Five Hectare Field."

"A--a young man?"

"A foreigner, some said; but his clothes were in tatters, and the
water-rats had disfigured him."

"Poor fellow!" said she, and quickly she added as if eager to change the
subject: "my name is on the letters of credit. In case of any mishap, I
will plainly say so to my husband and he will return me my own
property."

That was sensible. He had no farther remonstrances to offer, and taking
advantage of her glancing out into the garden, he closed the lid and
fastened it so that she could not see how the trick was done. She was
not vexed, for she saw that man is always weak and on the point of
losing his Paradise. Antonino would betray as the price of love. She
allowed him to go in to luncheon alone, wishing to inspect the
mysterious casket; but, unluckily, she was interrupted by Hedwig, who
rather officiously wanted to dust the room. Not for the first time,
Cesarine, remembering the wide occult sway claimed by Colonel Von
Sendlingen,