'Now, Madam, you must already guess my motive for having taken this step. It is to secure your immediate marriage with his lordship, and thus to terminate for ever my daughter's hopes, and my own inquietude. In two days, therefore, be prepared to give him your hand, or to suffer imprisonment for life.' 'My lord,' said I, 'I am a poor, weak, timid girl, but yet not unmindful of my noble lineage. I cannot consent to disgrace it. My lord, I will not wed Montmorenci.' 'You will not?' cried he, starting from his seat. 'I will not,' said I, in a tone of the sweetest obstinacy. 'Insolent!' exclaimed he, and began to pace the chamber with prodigious strides. Conceive the scene;--the tall figure of Hildebrand passing along, with folded arms; the hideous desolation of the room, and my shrinking figure. It was great, very great. It resembled a Pandemonium, where an angel of light was tormented by a fiend. Yet insult and oppression had but added to my charms, as the rose throws forth fresh fragrance by being mutilated. On a sudden he stopped short before me. 'What is your reason for refusing to marry him?' said he. 'My lord,' answered I, 'I do not feel for his lordship the passion of love.' 'Love!' cried he, with yells of laughter. 'Why this is Sympathina's silly rhodomontade. Love! There is no such passion. But mark me, Madam: soon shall you learn that there is such a passion as revenge!' And with these words he rushed out of the chamber. Nothing could be better than my conduct on this occasion. I was delighted with it, and with the castle, and with every thing. I therefore knelt and chaunted a vesper hymn, so soft, and so solemn; while my eyes, like a magdalen's, were cast to the planets. Adieu. LETTER XLI I had flung myself on the bed: my lamp was extinguished; and now sleep began to pour its opiate over me, when, (terrible to tell!) methought I heard steps stealing through my very chamber. 'She sleeps,' whispered a voice. 'Then poniard her at once,' said another. 'Remember, I must have five ducats,' said the first. 'Four,' said the second: 'Grufflan, the tormentor of innocents, would charge but two.' 'Then I will betray the murder.' 'I will take good care you shall not.' 'How so?' 'I will assassinate you after it.' 'Diavolo! 'Tis prudent, however. But by St. Jago, I will not consent to be assassinated under a ducat a-piece to my children.' 'Well, you shall have them.' 'Then, Maestro mio illustrissimo, the Bravo Abellino is your povero devotissimo!' The next instant my strained eyeballs saw a figure half starting from behind the tattered arras, in a long cloak, and flat cap. His right hand held a dagger, and his left a dark lantern, that cast a yellow glare on the ruffianly sculpture of his visage.