364 THE WATCH-TOW Ell OF KOAT-VEN. 



he knew both the priest and the physician, and he would not fail to 

 give him an account of your death." "And what said he him?" 

 *' Him ? Why, he secluded himself for eight days, and would see no 

 one ; but, as his old servant says, he must decide something, so he is 

 now almost gay again." Rita could not repress a slight ejaculation 

 of pain. " But, Madame, this mask, in the name of Heaven tear it 

 off it must be so." After a moment of silence she answered, in a 

 suppressed and trembling voice, " I am indeed ashamed you will 

 think me cowardly but I dare not.*' " You dare not!" " No, Perez r 

 I dare not. \l fear to withdraw it." '* Fear ! Madame, you afraid ! 

 when twenty days since you exclaimed fearlessly, ' I will be avenged , 

 and, lest my vengeance should be foiled, he must believe me dead. 

 Even that is not enough; I must be disfigured, that he ma> gaze 

 upon my face without a chance of recognition. How shall we effect 

 it, Perez?' Ah! you had no fear then, Madame ; you were cou~ 

 rageous decided. I told you of a secret I had got at Lima a 

 fierce corrosive that the Indians use to trace upon their bodies inef- 

 faceable marks. You did not fear then 7 when you exclaimed with 

 indignation, ' I have sacrificed my rank, my name, my life, I would 

 also sacrifice my beauty.' You did not then hesitate ; this mask 

 covered all. Is it now that you would fear, fear when of all your 

 beauty not a trace remains fear when this mask conceals only 

 features which none could recognize." With these words Perez? 

 burst asunder the cords which held the mask and it fell from her face. 



Perez was unable to restrain an ejaculation of horror and astonish- 

 ment at the sight which presented itself to him. This inflexible man 

 loved his mistress with a complete and disinterested attachment, with 

 that instinct which unites a dog to his master, and had vowed his life 

 and soul to the vengeance of Rita. 



Rita stood for an instant motionless, then rushed to the little mirror 

 which stood upon the table, and threw herself, almost fainting with 

 horror, upon the chair. Two large tears rolled down her cicatrized 

 cheeks. The wretched woman was so disfigured that Perez only 

 could have recognized the duchess of Almeida in those scarred features. 

 " Good God !" she exclaimed, all is at an end beauty, name, rank r 

 all lost." " But vengeance, Madame," said Perez, seriously. Rita 

 raised her head and exclaimed with a firm tone of voice, as she 

 dried up her tears, "Pardon, my good Perez, pardon my injustice, 

 my weakness, but I am a woman, I was beautiful, and you must ex- 

 cuse one last retrospect on a life so brilliant, so full of hope. But 

 now all is forgotten. You shall see if I be wanting in energy. With 

 that she seized the mirror and gazed upon her mutilated features 

 for more than a minute without emotion. " Now, Perez, I breathe 

 for vengeance vengeance complete and dreadful." 



" But should he die, Madame should he die before your vengeance 

 shall have brought despair upon his head !" " He shall not die," cried^ 

 Rita, with a voice rendered prophetic by the conviction which it ex- 

 pressed ; " he shall not die ; I feel in my heart a certainty of the 

 future. You must confess, Perez, that something unknown, super- 

 human, infernal, must have worked in me this certainty of success. 



