1831.] a Milanese Legend. 491 



sily of the sealed documents he had with him. Some indistinct notion 

 that they contained treasonable matter, half suggested itself to his mind. 

 He now remembered his host's .injunction to keep them concealed about 

 his person, and did not half relish the thought of being made the periled 

 carrier of such matter. Night began to close in, and as his way now 

 wound along the margin of the lake of Como, he felt more than half 

 inclined to throw the condemnatory documents into its peaceful waters. 

 They were directed, however, to his father, and might be on matters 

 wh'c narrowly concerned him: he would, therefore, at every hazard, 

 deliver the packet to his hands. This hazard soon appeared to lessen, 

 when, at a turn in the unfrequented road, he was met by an armed 

 escort, despatched by his father to guide him to the paternal abode. 



At length Alberto's ancestral dwelling was pointed out to him in the 

 distance, frowning like all famous traditional castles on an eminence, 

 which overlooked the waters of the lake. The rippling moonbeams that 

 played on their surface were here broken by the huge mass of building 

 which threw its dark, giant shadow athwart the Como. On reaching it, 

 a personage of lofty brow and high bearing advanced to meet him. The 

 young knight, overpowered by unwonted feelings, could only ejaculate 

 (e My father !" and, reverentially falling on his knees, embraced the 

 hand of his parent. 



After this first ebullition had subsided, Alberto saw more in his 

 parent's countenance to inspire fear than tenderness. As the knight, 

 like most young men, was no lover of those whose persons imposed a 

 disagreeable restraint, amounting almost to awe, he felt for a few 

 seconds a keen sensation of disappointment. Perhaps the baron marked 

 this ; for the stern hauteur of his brow instantly relaxed into an expres- 

 sion that was almost fascinating, and offering his arm, with somewhat of 

 graceful condescension, to his son, he conducted him to the banqueting- 

 hall, whose festive boards offered delicate and costly refreshments to the 

 wearied traveller. During the repast the conversation and manners of 

 his parent seemed calculated to win the confidence of Alberto j but still 

 there was a something in that dark eye which did not quite please the 

 young chief. Venturing once to turn on it a sort of puzzled scrutiny, 

 his gaze of dissatisfied inquiry was met by a keen, stern glance, which 

 forbade all further ocular examination. Changing the conversation, 

 which had accidentally, it seemed, slidden into politics, the baron said, 

 carelessly, te And what news, sir knight, and hopeful son, from our very 

 worthy and most prosing ally of Balsano?" " News, perhaps, that were 

 better told in private," answered Alberto, lowering his voice. " Our 

 house hath a fearful enemy, that might make his own of yon old baron's 

 superannuated dreams. I scarce reck of all he told me yester-even. His 

 discourse more mingled with my dreams than addressed itself to my 

 waking senses, and perhaps I had forgotten it altogether, had he not 

 left with me this sealed packet to be safely and secretly conveyed to you, 

 my sire." As he spoke, Alberto passed the packet to his father. But he 

 almost started at the expression of the Castellan's countenance. His 

 brow was wrapped in a crimson glow ; his dark eye flashed as if it had 

 been actually ignited ; his lips partly opened shewed the length of 

 his teeth, whose whiteness was rendered more dazzling by a light froth, 

 which seemed, as in a moment, to sparkle upon them ; while his hands, 

 as he took the packet, literally trembled with the eagerness of his grasp 

 on it. There was something so fiendish in the expression of a face 



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