498 The White Spectre of Malinanza. MAY, 



tenance, his features seemed to Portia's excited imagination to writhe 

 into wild and fiendish contortions. " What/' half thought the damsel 

 tf what if he should really be the subject of demoniacal possession ! 

 What if even worse he should be awakening from his slumber !" 

 She paused. The arms of the dire chief were placed near him, and his 

 poniard lay beside him on the very couch where he reposed. Rather 

 like one in a fearful dream than with the steady purpose of a conscious ' 

 agent, Portia stole softly to the bed. She stooped towards the pillow. 

 As her countenance unavoidably approached that dark visage, her limbs 

 half sunk under her. Her hand was on the packet she proceeded 

 gently to draw it from, its concealment ; but it yielded not readily to her 

 grasp. She ventured on another effort. Heaven have mercy ! The 

 Castellan half awoke. He murmured some indistinct words. The 

 maiden sank to the ground. She saw him, in his partial awaken- 

 ing, stretch forth his hand, and almost mechanically feel for the object 

 of his jealous care. Then, with the restless evolution of a disturbed 

 sleeper, he turned on his side, and relapsed into slumber. 



Without motion almost without breath Portia remained in her 

 prostrate attitude. All again became silence. Her eye almost uncon- 

 sciously fell on the time-piece. Its index shewed that, ere the lapse of a 

 brief half hour, Carmelo would be aroused from his slumber, and the 

 fatal documents despatched to their final destination. The feverish move- 

 ment of the Castellan had now averted his face from the maiden. The 

 change was encouraging. Without rising from her prostrate posture, she 

 stretched forth her hand she again laid it on the desired packet. She 

 began to draw it forth. The baron stirred not. Providence surely deep- 

 ened that slumber ! She has gained the packet she holds it in her 

 trembling grasp ! 



With a throbbing heart Portia softly arose, and stole in trembling 

 triumph towards the casement. The documents were of parchment, 

 heavy and numerous : they somewhat embarrassed the retreating pas- 

 sage of the maiden. Her foot struck against a piece of furniture. The 

 baron started up in his couch. Portia stifled her rising shriek, with 

 the energy of despair threw down the lamp, and endeavoured in the 

 obscurity to press through the window-bars. 



" Angels and fiends ! my treasure my packet !" exclaimed a venge- 

 ful and tremendous voice. A heavy foot was instantly on the floor. 

 With desperate efforts the maiden endeavoured to effect her passage ; but 

 a projection of the casement caught her garments. They were seized by 

 her pursuer. She struggled wildly forward she was almost dragged 

 back into the chamber. Faithful, even in her last extremity, to the 

 feeling which had dictated her enterprize, Portia collected the whole of 

 her remaining strength, and clinging to the bars of the window with 

 one arm, raised the other to its full stretch, and flung the packet 

 into the lake beneath her. A pattering sound was heard against the 

 walls of the castle then against the rock beneath : a slight plash in the 

 waters succeeded, and proclaimed that the fearful cause of such dark and 

 varied feelings had sunk to final oblivion. 



Lashed almost to phrensy by the sound which conveyed the heavy 

 tidings that his treasure was no more, Carmelo relinquished his grasp on 

 Portia, and flew to the door of his chamber. " What, ho ! Vincenzo ! 

 Amodeo!" he cried, " traitorous hands have flung my treasured packet 

 into yon lake beneath us. On your lives lower a boat this instant : it 



