THERESA ABRUZZI. 187 



" Fly with me, this instant fly 1 and I am secure and happy. 

 Happy ! oh what a word to express the bliss, the rapture of 

 possessing thee." 



*^ Marco, it must not be I " exclaimed the maiden firmly; 

 rather let us at this moment bid each other an eternal farewell 

 than violate an oath sacred in the sight of man and Heaven. 

 Nay, nay, look not thus upon me ; fortune may smile on us yet.'^ 



" I cannot lose you I '* cried he wildly : " whatever be the 

 issue, I must peril all." 



" Oh Marco, what mean you ? " 



"Ask not, know not!" he exclaimed; "Fate thrusts me on- 

 ward, whither I dare not look — You are the prize, Theresa, to gain 

 whom nor earth nor heaven shall bar me." 



" Oh hold, Marco ! " 



*' It is too late," he cried, as he imprinted a burning kiss on 

 her lips ; " even this may be the last ! " 



He looked on her with a countenance in which love and despair 

 were strangely mingled, waved his hand, and was out of sight in 

 an instant. 



The agitation of Theresa remained long after the immediate 

 effects of this last mysterious interview with her lover had passed 

 away. Alas ! the more she reflected on his dark insinuations, 

 the greater was her terror at their impending issue ; yet, unable 

 to comprehend or even to guess at the nature of his forebodings, 

 she could but weep and wonder, and seek in the past noble 

 career of Marco a trembling hope and assurance of the future. 

 That he had left Mantua immediately on quitting her she soon 

 learned. She could not, therefore, if she would, have sought 

 him, nor had she even the means of addressing a letter to him, 

 as his old steward had owned to her, on inquiry, that he was 

 wholly ignorant of the place of his retreat. 



Time, which pursues its undeviating course through good and 

 ill, passed on ; and a few days now only remained before the 

 expiration of that period on which the fate of Theresa depended. 

 Nothing, however, had yet been heard of Marco, and her fears 

 augmented almost to distraction as hour after hour stole insensibly 

 away. At this momentous crisis the count received intelligence 

 of the death of a relative near Naples, with the important 

 addition of a large property having devolved on him. With the 

 ardour of one whose whole soul was concentrated in the acqui- 

 sition of wealth, he gave orders for their immediate departure to 

 take possession of his newly-gained riches. In vain did Theresa 



