eyond a question, good Melchior;--but is not this
sufficient? Are we blasphemously, even impiously, to pretend that God has
not sufficiently provided for the punishment of the breaches of his wise
ordinances, that we must come forward to second them by arbitrary and
heartless rules of our own? What crime is imputable to the family of this
youth beyond that of poverty, which probably drove the first of his race
to the execution of their revolting office. There is little in the mien or
morals of Sigismund to denote the visitations of Heaven's wise decrees,
but there is everything in his present situation to proclaim the injustice
of man."

"And dost thou, Gaetano Grimaldi, the ally of so many ancient and
illustrious houses--thou, Gaetano Grimaldi, the honored of Genoa--dost
thou counsel me to give my only child, the heiress of my lands and name,
to the son of the public executioner, nay, to the very heritor of his
disgusting duties!"

"There thou hast me on the hip, Melchior; the question is put strongly,
and needs reflection for an answer. Oh! why is this Balthazar so rich in
offspring, and I so poor? But we will not press the matter; it is an
affair of many sides, and should be judged by us as men, as well as
nobles. Daughter, thou hast just learned, by the words of thy father, that
I am against thee, by position and heritage, for, while I condemn the
principle of this wrong, I cannot overlook its effects, and never before
did a case of as tangled difficulty, one in which right was so palpably
opposed by opinion, present itself for my judgment. Leave us, that we may
command ourselves; the required decision exacts much care, and greater
mastery of ourselves than I can exercise, with that sweet pale face of
thine appealing so eloquently to my heart in behalf of the noble boy."

Adelheid arose, and first offering her marble-like brow to the salutations
of both her parents, for the ancient friendship and strong sympathies of
the Genoese, gave him a claim to this appellation in her affections at
least, she silently withdrew.

As to the conversation which ensued between the old nobles, we momentarily
drop the curtain, to proceed to other incidents of our narrative. It may,
however, be generally observed that the day passed quietly away, without
the occurrence of any event which it is necessary to relate, all in the
chateau, with the exception of the travellers, being principally occupied
by the approaching festivities. The