CHAPTER V.

THE ASSASSIN.

SCARCELY had she reached her chamber ere Rosabella repented her having acted so courageously. It was cruel in her, she thought, to have given him so harsh an answer! She recollected with what hopeless and melancholy looks the poor thunderstruck youth had followed her steps as she turned to leave him. She fancied that she saw him stretched despairing on the earth, his hair dishevelled, his eyes filled with tears. She heard him term her the murderess of his repose, pray for death, as his only refuge, and she saw him with every moment approach towards the attainment of his prayer, through the tears which he shed on her account. Already she heard those dreadful words, "Flodoardo is no more!" Already she saw the sympathising multitude weep round the tomb of him whom all the virtuous loved, and whom the wicked dreaded; whom all his friends adored, and whom even his enemies admired.

"Alas! alas!" cried she," this was but a wretched attempt to play the heroine; already does my resolution fail me. Ah, Flodoardo, I meant not what I said! I love you, love you now, and must love you always, though Camilla may chide, and though my good uncle may hate

In a few days after this interview, she understood that an extraordinary alteration had taken place in Flodoardo's manner and appearance; that he had withdrawn himself from all general society; and that when the solicitations of his intimate friends compelled him to appear in their circle, his spirits seemed evidently depressed by the weight of an unconquerable melancholy.

This intelligence was like the stroke of a poniard to the feeling heart of Rosabella. She fled for shelter to the solitude of her chamber, there indulged her feelings with

out restraint, and lamented, with showers of repentant tears, her harsh treatment of Flodoardo.

The grief which preyed in secret on her soul soon undermined her health. No one could relieve her sufferings, for no one knew the cause of her melancholy, or the origin of her illness. No wonder, then, that Rosabella's situation at length excited the most bitter anxiety in the bosom of her venerable uncle. No wonder, too, that Flodoardo entirely withdrew himself from a world, which was become odious to him since Rosabella was to be seen in it no longer; and that he devoted himself in solitude to the indulgence of a passion which he had vainly endeavoured to subdue; and which, in the impetuosity of its course, had already swallowed up every other wish, and every other sentiment.

But let us for a moment turn from the sick chamber of Rosabella, and visit the dwellings of the conspirators, who were now advancing with rapid strides towards the execution of their plans; and who, with every hour that passed over their heads, became more numerous, more powerful, and more dangerous to Andreas and his beloved republic.

Parozzi, Memmo, Contarino, and Falieri (the chiefs of this desperate undertaking), now assembled frequently in the Cardinal Gonzaga's palace, where the different plans for altering the constitution of Venice were brought forward and discussed. But in all these different schemes it was evident that the proposer was solely actuated by considerations of private interest. The object of one was to get free from the burden of enormous debts; another was willing to sacrifice every thing to gratify his inordinate ambition; the cupidity of this man was excited by the treasures of Andreas and his friends; while that was actuated by resentment of some fancied offence, a resentment which could only be quenched with the offender's blood.

These execrable wretches, who aimed at nothing less than the total overthrow of Venice, or at least of her government, looked towards the completion of their extravagant hopes with the greater confidence, since a new but neces

sary addition to the already existing taxes had put the Venetian populace out of humour with their rulers.

Rich enough, both in adherents and in wealth, to realise their fearful projects; rich enough in bold, shrewd, desperate men, whose minds were well adapted to the contrivance and execution of revolutionary projects; they now looked down with contempt on the good old doge, who, as yet, entertained no suspicion of the object of their nocturnal meetings.

Still did they not dare to carry their projects into effect till some principal persons in the state should be prevented by death from throwing obstacles in their way. For the accomplishment of this part of their plan they relied on the daggers of the banditti. Dreadful, therefore, was the sound in their ears when the bell gave the signal for execution, and they saw their best founded hopes expire on the scaffold which supported the headless trunks of the four bravos. But if their consternation was great at thus losing the destined instruments of their designs, how extravagant was their joy when the proud Abellino dared openly to declare to Venice that he still inhabited the republic, and that he still wore a dagger at the disposal of vice.

"This desperado is the very man for us!" they exclaimed unanimously, and in rapture; and now their most ardent wish was to enrol Abellino in their service.

That object was soon attained: they sought the daring ruffian, and he suffered himself to be found. He visited their meetings, but in his promises and demands he was equally extravagant.

The first and most earnest wish of the whole conspiracy was the death of Conari, the procurator; a man whom the doge valued beyond all others; a man, whose eagleeyes made the conspirators hourly tremble for their secret, and whose services the doge had accepted, in preference to those of the Cardinal Gonzaga. But the sum which Abellino demanded for the murder of this one man was

enormous.

"Give me the reward which I require," said he, “ and I promise, on the word of a man of honour, that after

Y

this night the procurator Conari shall give you no further trouble. Exalt him to heaven, or imprison him in hell, I'll engage to find and stab him.”

What could they do? Abellino was not a man to be easily beaten down in his demands. The cardinal was impatient to attain the summit of his wishes; but his road lay straight over Conari's grave!

Abellino received the sum demanded: the next day the venerable Conari, the doge's best and dearest friend, the pride and safeguard of the republic, was no longer numbered among the living.

""Tis a terrible fellow, this Abellino!" cried the conspirators when the news reached them, and celebrated the procurator's death in triumph at the cardinal's midnight

feast.

The doge was almost distracted with terror and astonishment. He engaged to give ten thousand sequins to any one who should discover by whom Conari had been removed from the world. A proclamation to this effect was published at the corner of every street in Venice, and made known throughout the territories of the republic. A few days after this proclamation had been made, a paper was discovered affixed to the principal door of the Venetian Signoria.

" VENETIANS!

"You would fain know the author of Conari's death: to spare you much fruitless trouble, I hereby acknowledge, that I, Abellino, was his assassin. Twice did I bury my dagger in his heart, and then sent his body to feed fishes. The doge promises ten thousand sequins to him who shall discover Conari's murderer; and to him who shall be clever enough to seize him, Abellino hereby promises twenty.-Adieu, signors.

"I remain your faithful servant,

"ABELLINO."

CHAPTER VI.

THE TWO GREATEST MEN IN VENICE.

Ir must be superfluous to inform my readers that all Venice became furious at this new insolence. Within the memory of man had no one ever treated with such derision the celebrated Venetian police, or set the doge's power at defiance with such proud temerity. This occurrence threw the whole city into confusion; every one was on the look out; the patroles were doubled; the sbirri extended their researches on all sides; yet no one could see, or hear, or discover the most distant trace of Abellino.

The priests in their sermons strove to rouse the slumbering vengeance of Heaven to crush this insolent offender. The ladies were ready to swoon at the very name of Abellino; for who could assure them that, at some unexpected moment, he might not pay them the same compliment which he had paid to Rosabella ? As for the old women, they unanimously asserted, that Abellino had sold himself to the Prince of Darkness, by whose assistance he was enabled to sport with the patience of all pious Venetians, and deride the impotence of their just indignation. The cardinal and his associates were proud of their terrible confederate, and looked forward with confidence to the triumphant issue of their undertaking. The deserted family of Conari called down curses on his murderer's head, and wished that their tears might be changed into a sea of sulphur, in whose waves they might plunge the monster Abellino nor did Conari's relations feel more grief for his loss than the doge and his two confidants, who swore never to rest till they had discovered the lurking-place of the ruthless assassin, and had punished his crime with tenfold vengeance.

66

Yet, after all," said Andreas one evening, as he sat alone in his private chamber, "after all, it must be confessed that this Abellino is a singular man. He who can do