THE AMULET. BY HENDRIK CONSCIENCE, AUTHOR OF "THE CURSE OF THE VILLAGE," "THE HAPPINESS OF BEING RICH," "VEVA," "THE LION OF FLANDERS," "COUNT HUGO OF CRAENHOVE," "WOODEN CLARA," "THE POOR GENTLEMAN," "RICKETICKETACK," "THE DEMON OF GOLD," "THE VILLAGE INN-KEEPER," "THE CONSCRIPT," "BLIND ROSA," "THE MISER," "THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER," ETC. Translated Expressly for this Edition. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. In the "Amulet," Hendrick Conscience has worked up an incident which occurred at Antwerp, in the 16th century, into a story of great power and deep interest. It was a dark and bloody deed committed, but swift and terrible was the retribution, strikingly illustrating how God laughs the sinner to scorn, and how the most cunningly devised schemes are frustrated, when He permits the light of His avenging justice to expose them in their enormity. On the contrary, it forcibly proves that virtuous actions, sooner or later, bear abundant fruit even in this world. If a man's sins bring upon his head a weight of woe, so do his good deeds draw down the benedictions of heaven and serve as a shield to protect him from his enemies. S.J.F. _Baltimore_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE ANTWERP 9 CHAPTER II. SIGNOR DEODATI 30 CHAPTER III. THE PALACE OF SIMON TURCHI, AND WHAT OCCURRED THERE 43 CHAPTER IV. THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION--THE ASSASSINATOR SLAIN 64 CHAPTER V. VAN DE WERVE'S RECEPTION--SIMON TURCHI'S JEALOUSY AND HATRED 79 CHAPTER VI. SIMON TURCHI WREAKS HIS VENGEANCE ON GERONIMO 96 CHAPTER VII. GRIEF AT GERONIMO'S ABSENCE--TURCHI'S HYPOCRISY 112 CHAPTER VIII. SIMON TURCHI TRIES TO CONCEAL HIS CRIME 128 CHAPTER IX. GERONIMO RESURRECTED 143 CHAPTER X. SIMON TURCHI'S ALARM--CRIME BEGETS CRIME 157 CHAPTER XI. FOOD AT LAST--DEATH OF JULIO 171 CHAPTER XII. IS IT HIS GHOST?--THE GUILTY EXPOSED 180 CHAPTER XIII. MARY VAN DE WERVE'S (NOW MADAME GERONIMO DEODATI) DEPARTURE FOR ITALY--THE PUNISHMENT OF SIMON TURCHI 193 THE AMULET. CHAPTER I. Previous to the close of the fifteenth century, the direction taken by European commerce remained unchanged. America had not been discovered, and the only known route to India was by land. Venice, enthroned by her central position as queen of commerce, compelled the nations of Europe and Asia to convey to her port all the riches of the world.