un had only just gone down
behind the hills; a maid was in attendance; and the Duchess lay in bed,
penciling some memoranda. Yet they were sufficient to arouse the Duke's
anger. He disarmed Marcello and removed him to the prisons of Soriano,
leaving Violante under strict guard at Gallese.

The Duke of Palliano had no intention of proclaiming his jealousy or of
suggesting his dishonor, until he had extracted complete proof. He
therefore pretended to have arrested Marcello on the suspicion of an
attempt to poison him. Some large toads, bought by the young man at a
high price two or three months earlier, lent color to this accusation.
Meanwhile the investigation was conducted as secretly as possible by the
Duke in person, his brother-in-law Count Aliffe, and a certain Antonio
Torando, with the sanction of the Podesta of Soriano. After examining
several witnesses, they became convinced of Violante's guilt. Marcello
was put to the torture, and eventually confessed. The Duke stabbed him
to death with his own hands, and afterwards cut Diana's throat for her
share in the business. Both bodies were thrown into the prison-sewer.
Meanwhile Paul IV. had retained the young Cardinal, Alfonso Caraffa, son
of the Marquis of Montebello, near his person. This prelate thought it
right to inform his grand-uncle of the occurrences at Soriano. The Pope
only answered: 'And the Duchess? What have they done with her?' Paul IV.
died in August, and the Conclave, which ended in the election of Pius
IV., was opened. During the important intrigues of that moment, Cardinal
Alfonso found time to write to the Duke, imploring him not to leave so
dark a stain upon his honor, but to exercise justice on a guilty wife.
On August 28, 1559, the Duke sent the Count Aliffe, and Don Leonardo del
Cardine, with a company of soldiers to Gallese. They told Violante that
they had arrived to kill her, and offered her the offices of two
Franciscan monks. Before her death, the Duchess repeatedly insisted on
her innocence, and received the Sacrament from the hands of Friar
Antonio of Pavia. The Count, her brother, then proceeded to her
execution. She covered her eyes with a handkerchief, which she, with
perfect _sang froid_, drew somewhat lower in order to shut his sight
out. Then he adjusted the cord to her neck; but, finding that it would
not exactly fit, he removed it and walked away. The Duchess raised the
bandage from her face, and said: "Well! what are we about then