192 THERESA ABRUZZI. 



involuntary, indeed, as to the person, but not the less to be ab- 

 horred ! Alas ! had he but made his peace with offended hea- 

 ven, his death now were the most welcome tidings that could 

 have reached her; but his fate was wholy unknown : he had 

 never returned to Mantua, and his faithful steward, heart-broken 

 at his absence, had sought from the countess intelligence which 

 he believed, she only could give. It was a heart-rending scene : 

 the tears of the old man fell fast and unrestrained, while Theresa, 

 torn by the conflict of warring passions, with difficulty struggled 

 through an interview which recalled the past in all its vivid 

 horrors. 



The prince of Castel-Monti, though seemingly acquiescent in 

 the rejection of Theresa, had kept a strict but unobserved watch 

 on her actions. He had marked with surprise the long estrange- 

 ment of Marco, who, it was generally expected would have ap- 

 peared to claim the hand of the countess now that every obstacle 

 to their union was apparently removed. Long pondering on the 

 strangeness of his continued absence, he had been led to sus- 

 pect that it was in some shape connected with the death of the 

 count; and the shrinking, the alarm of Thersea, at some slight 

 insinuations which he had purposely dropped, had tended to 

 strengthened bis suspicions. If he loved her less than when 

 he had first addressed her, he was not the less desirous of possessing 

 her. His avarice was excited by her great accession of wealth, 

 and his pride, which had been deeply wounded by her disdain 

 of his suit, could he only now be appeased by his final tri- 

 umph. Could he but penetrate that secret, of the existence of 

 which he was every day more firmly covinced, success was cer- 

 tain ; once master of that, the rest followed of course. In this 

 mood he had watched the departure of Marco's steward from the 

 villa Abruzzi : and determined at all hazards, to profit by the 

 occasion, he had, by the connivance of her major-|Jomo, ab- 

 ruptly entered the presence of Theresa, while her cheeks were 

 yet wet with the emotions of that fearful interview. Incensed at 

 his intrusion, she replied to his artful questions as to the cause 

 of her disorder, with a spirit and self-possession which, though 

 they baffled, did not the less irritate him. Finding, however, 

 that he was but injuring the cause he had hoped to promote, he 

 at length withdrew, breathing secret denunciations of vengeance 

 against the unfortunate countess. 



To he continued. 



PRINTED BY G. P. HEARDER, PLYMOUTH. 



