THE PIRATES OF SEGXA. 345 



end ; the black hangings disappeared from the church 

 walls, and the bells rang out a merry peal in joyful 

 commemoration of the Saviour's resurrection. The 

 nobles and ladies of the court, wearied with the 

 vigils and fasting which the religious zeal of the 

 time rendered imperative, betook themselves with 

 lightened hearts to their apartments, the elder por- 

 tion to repose, the younger ones to prepare for the 

 brilliant festival and ball which the following day was 

 to witness. 



In a richly furnished apartment of the castle, the 

 young and handsome wife of one of the archducal 

 counsellors was pacing up and down, her full and 

 voluptuous form reflected on every side by the tall 

 Venetian mirrors that covered the walls of the apart- 

 ment. The lady was apparently in no gentle mood ; 

 her step was hurried and impatient, her face flushed, 

 her lips peevishly compressed, and her irritation 

 seemed to increase each time that she passed before 

 a table on which were displayed a number of jewel- 

 boxes and caskets, all open, and nearly all empty. 

 Since the Easter festival of the preceding year, the 

 caprices and necessities of this spendthrift beauty 

 had abstracted one by one the rich kernels from 

 these now worthless husks, and the recollection of 

 the follies, or worse, in which their value had been 

 squandered, now came to aggravate the vexation 

 which the want of the jewels occasioned her. So 

 absorbed was she in the consideration of her annoy- 



