1831.] a Milanese Legend. 493 



triumphantly ; " thou hast restored me to myself thou hast exorcised 

 from my bosom strange guests, that had, all unbidden, returned to it 

 after long banishment. Thou art, indeed, worthy to be my son. I 

 counsel thee but to one thing, sir knight look to it that thy power to 

 restrain the lord of Malinanza squares well with thy bold purpose. "Pis 

 said he is no feeble enemy, and perhaps he may have resources some- 

 what too strong even for your valiancy." " I fear him not," answered 

 the young man ; " I would defy him, even in his own castle ay, were 

 it garrisoned with all the goodly hosts report hath given .him demons, 

 robbers, and assassins. I have small desire to exercise vengeance on 

 Don Carmelo still less fear to receive the effect of his malice in my own 

 person. Nay, nay, my sire take my armour from me yourself! and 

 carry them out for burnishing, too ! This is making me more guest 

 than son." As the Castellan prepared to quit the room with the light 

 weapons of the young knight beneath his arm, he held the torch for a 

 moment to his own dark countenance, as if almost purposely to reveal 

 its expression to Alberto. The current of the young man's blood seemed 

 almost arrested in his veins. Surely it was the face of a demon he gazed 

 on ! The Castellan approached him. " Good night, young Sir,'' he 

 said, with a fiendish expression ; " all good angels watch over thee in 

 these friendly towers j and, be thy waking to-morrow where it may, for- 

 get not my paternal good night." He was going, but, returning a step 

 or two, he added, scornfully " And thou knowest not the feelings of 

 revenge ? O charming, insipid innocence ! Thinkest thou long to 

 retain thine ignorance ? Be injured be robbed be stricken, hand, 

 heart, and limb and then retain thy meek bearing ! I will tell thee, 

 young man, that revenge is the nearest feeling to rapture of any this 

 poor sordid nature of ours knoweth. For me, I would sacrifice on its 

 altar my health, my wealth, my fair lands, and all that ministers to 

 meaner pleasures. Ay, even such a son as thou (though I am not so 

 impassable as to close my eyes to thy noble qualities) would be but as 

 dust in the balance. Poor youth/' he continued, with a smile, in which 

 a very slight shade of pity was strangely mingled with an expression of 

 triumph " poor youth, if I could pity, I might pity thee. But good 

 night, young sir. They say that last dreams are the pleasantest : I go to 

 pray that thine, to-night, may be surpassing sweet." " Gracious 

 Heaven ! what meaneth all this ?" exclaimed the knight, in astonish- 

 ment, as his father (carrying away his arms) withdrew from the chamber. 

 The idea that his parent must be in a state of insanity darted across his 

 mind ; but when he heard a sound of locks and bolts on the other side 

 of his apartment, he ruslied to the door, and endeavoured, by forcing it 

 open, to prevent the incarcerating process which seemed to be going on 

 without : he was too late. He next protested, in loud and vehement 

 terms, against this unparental strictness : a fiendish and stifled laugh 

 without was the only answer he received. Complete silence succeeded. 

 The gallant young chief scarcely knew what he expected what he 

 apprehended. He began to look suspiciously around his chamber. What- 

 ever might be its attractions as a sleeping apartment, it was certainly 

 strong enough for a prison. Alberto explored a small anti-chamber into 

 which it opened, and endeavoured, but in vain, to discover some egress. 

 In doing this, he wrenched open the door of a cabinet, which stood in a 

 dark and scarcely discernible recess of the anti-chamber. Curious 

 instruments, of which he did not understand the use, met his eye ; but 



