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Leopold's banditti seizing the Lady who fled from the Convent.

London Published by Tho: Kelly, 17 Paternoster Row, Aug. 18, 1821.

Page my Vol.2.

to the assassin's dagger; but even the decrepi tude of age-the hoary locks grown grey in a life of virtue-the heart which never formed a deed against thee-nor the head a thought to injure thee—even these must fall a victim to thy degenerate nature. This night has thy treachery been discovered-in the vault of Niolo rests no bones of the Count Niolo-in what corner of the earth hast thou deposited them, or does he yet live to tell thy infamy to an indignant world?"

The hand of death seemed to be creeping fast over the abbot-his lips quivered, and they appeared almost to have lost the power of articulation. In a faint tone, he muttered-"Anselm, An-selm."

"Was the Count of Niolo murdered," asked Villano," or does he live?”

"He—he li-lives," whispered the abbot. "Where can I look for my father?" asked Frederic.

The angel of death had received its madate -on the lips of the abbot seemed to hover the parting words of life; but the power of articulation was gone. The dreaded rattlings in the throat declared the crisis to be at hand. For a minute, life struggled for victory, but mortality claimed its tribute; and, with a convulsive pang, the abbot expired.

For a few minutes Villano and Frederic viewed the now senseless frame of the abbot.

"He has finished his account on earth," said

Villano, "but what a dreadful one opens upon him in another-we have no further business here." Taking a last look at the corpse, Villano and Frederic left the dormitory, and called the monks to sing their requiem for his soul.

Confusion now reigned in the monastery-and, as it was discovered that Villano had a sword concealed, some strong suspicions were promulgated that the death of the abbot had been expedited; but, although his body was examined, no appearance of a wound presented itself, and it was finally concluded that he had died in the regular course of nature-though, perhaps, his death had been hastened by the intelligence which his visitors had communicated to him.

Villano and Frederic having left the monastery, set forward to Niolo with all possible speed, where they arrived in time to receive a visit from the abbess of the convent, who, with some of the nuns, had escaped the perils of the fire, by taking refuge in a neighbouring cottage. The intelligence of the arrival of the abbess was heard by Frederic with particular delight, as he now hoped to gain some information of the fate of his daughter, and the venerable matron was immediately admitted into his private apart

ment.

During the time that these affairs were transacting in the vicinity of Niolo, the miscreants who had possessed themselves of the person of

the female who was flying from the burning convent, hurried with their victim to the Inn of the Pass of San Petro, whither Leopold and Ortano instantly repaired, elated with the prospect of having Adeline in their possession. The party, with their captive, had arrived several hours before their employers, and the lady had no sooner alighted, than she was immediately recognized by the host, as being one of the party who travelled with Count Frederic Lindamore, and this confirmed the villains that they had entrapped the proper person but how great was their mortification and surprise, when, on Leopold and Ortano being introduced into the room in which the captive was sitting, to find that it was not Adeline Lindamore, but Mademoiselle Schlaffenhausen, who, when Frederic threw off his disguise in the hall, was, with the majority of the guests, so convinced that it was a ghost, that she had fled in the most precipitate manner to the convent, from which she had been driven by the flames. It was, however, rather a pantomimical scene, to observe the clouds of disappointment which hung upon the countenances of the confederates, and the comparative smile of satisfaction which adorned the features of Mademoiselle. As to any mistake in the person, that was an idea which never entered into her head, for she actually believed that she had been carried off by design; and as her black eyes had often spoken a most intelligible language to Or

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