THERESA ABRUZZI. 213 



servants, rushed into the temple. "It is he," they allexclaimed, 

 as they rushed forward to seize him ; but Theresa, by a sudden 

 impulse, which the intense love of woman could alone have 

 inspired, threw herself before him, and, by gestures more impas- 

 sioned than the words which died on her lips, commanded them 

 to desist. 



" You know not what you do, lady,'^ exclaimed the prince : 

 "it is the assassin of your father ! ^^ 



" I will avouch him to be the murderer of my master I " cried 

 one of the servants, coming forward. 



" And if my eyes deceive me not," said Castel-Monti, with a 

 sneer of exulting malice, which he could not repress, " in that 

 murderer I behold the marquis Pecroni the bethrothed of his 

 daughter.'' 



Theresa, pale, cold as marble, bowed her head, but stirred not. 



**Lady, his touch is contamination," continued the prince; 

 " leave us to deal with him as he merits. The murder of thy 

 father can only be expiated by the blood of his assassin." 



" Oh fatal haste ! " slowly murmured Theresa, disregarding 

 the serpent glance of the prince and the astonished looks of her 

 own domestics. " Cruel Marco, why fled you not?" 



" I came but to die, Theresa ; and thy forgiveness has severed 

 the last link that bound me to life : yet Petroni must not die a 

 felon's death. Pardon, sweet excellence!" he continued, draw- 

 ing a stiletto from his belt. 



" No, no 1 " she exclaimed, too well interpreting his fatal 

 purpose, yet powerless to prevent it : " not so, Marco I — My 

 life, my fortune, — I will save you yet ! " 



He looked on her with eyes that beamed love, gratitude, 

 almost exultation, as he buried the fatal weapon in his heart. 

 Even as he fell dead at her feet, he caught at her upraised hand, 

 and attempted to press it to his lips. Enraged at the sight, the 

 prince snatched it from his grasp ; alas ! it fell powerless from 

 his own ! — Theresa Abruzzi had ceased to live ! 



