Both man and beast appeared to be doomed; and so it proved. Over the fence they went, and in a few minutes Stella's body was carried over a fall into a deep boiling pool, out of which it could never be recovered. CHAPTER XXXIII. Antonio the Rich--Soul sold to the Devil--Dreadful Announcement from a Volcano's Mouth--Three Ghosts--A Thrilling Story--Human Remains found behind a Stove--Mozart apprehensive of Death--A Strange Visitor--Mozart writing a Requiem for himself--The Stranger's Return--Messenger from another World--Mozart's Death--Ghost of a Lady--The White Lady--A Haunted House--Terrified Servants--Iron Cage--Youth starved to Death--Frightful Dreams and Dreadful Sights--Dog frightened by a Spirit--Ghost sinking into the Earth--Deserting a Disturbed House--Duchess of Mazarin--Madam de Beauclair--Compact between the Living and the Dead--A Lady's Death foretold by a Spirit--The Prediction fulfilled. In the reign of Henry VIII., Mr. Gresham, a London merchant, coming home from Palermo (wherein resided one Antonio, generally called the Rich, who at one time had two kingdoms mortgaged to him), heard a strange voice that filled him with alarm. Antonio had accumulated a vast amount of riches, in ways not altogether in accordance with the eighth commandment. His money was given in loan at shamefully high rates of interest, and both principal and interest were often recovered by oppression. In fact, gold seemed to be his god: for it he appeared to live; for it, his poor neighbours asserted, he had sold his soul to the devil. Mr. Gresham being detained at Strombuli by contrary winds, he, with eight sailors, ascended a burning mountain there. Approaching the crater as near is they could with safety, they heard a hideous noise proceeding from the volcano's mouth, and a voice crying aloud "Dispatch, dispatch, haste, the rich Antonio is coming!" Terrified, the company hastened down the mountain, which, before they reached the level country, vomited out fire. At Palermo Mr. Gresham inquired for Antonio, and was informed that he died at the very time the voice proclaimed from the scorching flames, "Antonio is coming." Mr. Gresham, on his return to England, reported the strange circumstances to the king, who had the facts confirmed by the mariners' oaths. So deeply was Mr. Gresham impressed with what he had heard, that he abandoned commerce, distributed nearly all his riches among his friends and the poor, and spent the remainder of his days in pious works.