"It does; much more than I have mentioned, infinitely more ! But one boon can make me happy. I have begged for it on my knees." He caught her hand, and pressed it eagerly to his lips. "I have begged for it, Rosabella, and my suit has been rejected!"

"You are a strange enthusiast!" she said with dif ficulty, and scarcely knew what she said; while Flodoardo drew her gently nearer to him, and murmured in a supplicating voice, “Rosabella!”

"What would you of me?”

She gazed upon him for a moment undecided, then hastily drew away her hand, and exclaimed, "Leave me this moment, I command you! Leave me, for Heaven's sake!"

Flodoardo clasped his hands together in despair and anguish; he bowed his head in token of obedience; he left her with slow steps and a melancholy air, and as he passed the threshold, turned to bid her farewell for ever. Suddenly she rushed towards him, caught his hand, and pressed it to her heart.

"Flodoardo!" she cried, "I am thine!" and sank motionless at his feet.

CHAPTER II.

A DANGEROUS PROMISE.

AND now who was so blest as the fortunate Flodoardo ? The victory was his own: he had heard the wished for sentence pronounced by the lips of Rosabella. He raised her from the ground, and placed her on a sofa. Her blue eyes soon unclosed themselves once more, and the first object which they beheld was Flodoardo kneeling at her feet, while with one arm he encircled her waist. Her head sank upon the shoulder of the man for whom she had wept so many tears, for whom she had breathed so

many sighs, who had occupied so many of her thoughts by day, who had been present in so many of her dreams by night.

As they gazed in silent rapture on each other, they forgot that they were mortals: they seemed to be transported to a happier, better world. Rosabella thought that the chamber in which she sat was transformed into an earthly paradise: invisible seraphs seemed to hallow by their protecting presence the indulgence of her innocent affection; and she poured forth her secret thanks to Him who had given her a heart susceptible of love.

Through the whole course of man's existence such a moment as this occurs but once. Happy is he who sighs for its arrival; happy is he who, when it arrives, has a soul worthy of its enjoyment; happy is even he for whom that moment has long been past, so it past not unenjoyed, for the recollection of it still is precious. Sage philosophers, in vain do you assure us that the raptures of a moment like this are mere illusions of a heated imagination, scarcely more solid than an enchanting dream, which fades before the sunbeams of truth and reason. Alas! does there exist a happiness under the moon which owes not its charms in some degree to the magic of imagination?

"You are dear to me, Flodoardo !" murmured Rosabella, for Camilla and her counsels were quite forgotten; oh, you are very, very dear!"

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The youth only thanked her by clasping her still closer to his bosom, while, for the first time, he sealed her coral lips with his own. At that moment the door was suddenly thrown open; the Doge Andreas re-entered the apartment; the expected stranger had been suddenly taken ill, and Andreas was no sooner at liberty than he hastened to rejoin his favourite. The rustling of his garments roused the lovers from their dream of bliss. Rosabella started from Flodoardo's embrace with a cry of terror; Flodoardo quitted his kneeling posture, yet seemed by no means disconcerted at the discovery.

Andreas gazed upon them for some minutes, with a look which expressed at once anger, melancholy, and the most

heartfelt disappointment. He sighed deeply, cast his eyes towards heaven, and in silence turned to leave the apart

ment.

"C Stay yet one moment, noble Andreas!" cried the Florentine.

The doge turned, and Flodoardo threw himself at his feet. Andreas looked down with calm and serious dignity on the kneeling offender, by whom his friendship had been so unworthily rewarded, and by whom his confidence had been so cruelly betrayed.

"Young man," said he in a stern voice," the attempt to excuse yourself must be fruitless."

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no,

"Excuse myself?" interrupted Flodoardo boldly; my lord, I need no excuses for loving Rosabella: 't were for him to excuse himself who had seen Rosabella and not loved her; yet if it is indeed a crime in me that I adore Rosabella, 't is a crime of which Heaven itself will absolve me, since it formed Rosabella so worthy to be adored!"

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"You seem to lay too much stress on this fantastic apology," answered the doge contemptuously; at least, you cannot expect that it should have much weight with

me.

"I say it once more, my lord," resumed Flodoardo, while he rose from the ground, "that I intend to make no apology. I mean not to excuse my love for Rosabella, but to request your approbation of that love. Andreas, 1 adore your niece; I demand her for my bride."

The doge started in astonishment at this bold and unexpected request.

"It is true," continued the Florentine, " I am no more than a needy, unknown youth, and it seems a piece of strange temerity when such a man proposes himself to espouse the heiress of the Venetian doge. But, by Heaven, I am confident that the great Andreas means not to bestow his Rosabella on one of those whose claims to favour are overflowing coffers, extensive territories, and sounding titles, or who vainly decorate their insignificance with the glory obtained by their ancestors; glory of which they are themselves incapable of acquiring a single ray. I acknowledge freely that I have as yet performed no actions

which make me deserving such a reward as Rosabella; but it shall not be long ere I will perform such actions, or perish in the attempt."

The doge turned from him with a look of displeasure.

"Oh, be not incensed with him, dear uncle!" said Rosabella: she hastened to detain the doge, threw her white arms round his neck fondly, and concealed in his bosom the tears with which her countenance was bedewed.

“Make your demands!" continued Flodoardo, still addressing himself to the doge: "say what you wish me to do, and what you would have me become, in order to obtain from you the hand of Rosabella. Ask what you will, I will look on the task, however difficult, as nothing more than sport and pastime. By Heaven, I would that Venice were at this moment exposed to the most imminent danger, and that ten thousand daggers were unsheathed against your life; Rosabella my reward, how certain should I be to rescue Venice, and strike the ten thousand daggers down."

"I have served the republic faithfully and fervently for many a long year," answered Andreas with a bitter smile; "I have risked my life without hesitation; I have shed my blood with profusion; I asked nothing for my reward but to pass my old age in soft tranquillity, and of this reward have I been cheated. My bosom friends, the companions of my youth, the confidants of my age, have been torn from me by the daggers of banditti; and you, Flodoardo, you on whom I heaped all favours, have now deprived me of this, my only last remaining comfort. Answer me, Rosabella, hast thou in truth bestowed thy heart on Flodoardo irrevocably?"

One hand of Rosabella's still rested on her uncle's 'shoulder; with the other she clasped Flodoardo's, and pressed it fondly against her heart. Yet Flodoardo seemed still unsatisfied. No sooner had the doge's question struck his ear, than his countenance became dejected; and though his hand returned the pressure of Rosabella's, he shook his head mournfully, with an air of doubt, and cast on her a penetrating look, as he would have read the secrets of her inmost soul.

Andreas withdrew himself gently from Rosabella's arm, and for some time paced the apartment slowly, with a countenance sad and earnest. Rosabella sank upon a sofa which stood near her, and wept. Flodoardo eyed the doge, and waited for his decision with impatience.

Thus passed some minutes. An awful silence reigned through the chamber: Andreas seemed to be labouring with some resolution of dreadful importance. The lovers wished, yet dreaded, the conclusion of the scene, and with every moment their anxiety became more painful.

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Flodoarda, at length said the doge, and suddenly stood still in the middle of the chamber. Flodoardo advanced with a respectful air. "Young man," he continued, "I am at length resolved; Rosabella loves you, nor will I oppose the decision of her heart: but Rosabella is much too precious to admit of my bestowing her on the first who thinks fit to demand her; the man to whom I give her must be worthy such a gift: she must be the reward of his services, nor can he do services so great that such a reward will not overpay them. Your claims on the republic's gratitude are as yet but trifling; an opportunity now offers of rendering us an essential service. The murderer of Conari, Manfrone, and Lomellino-go, bring him hither! Alive or dead, thou must bring to this palace the terrible banditti king, Abellino."

At this unexpected conclusion of a speech, on which his happiness or despair depended, Flodoardo started back; the colour fled from his cheeks.

My noble lord," he said at length hesitating; know well that

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"I know well," interrupted Andreas, "how difficult a task I enjoin, when I require the delivery of Abellino. For myself I swear, that I had rather a thousand times force my passage with a single vessel through the whole Turkish fleet, and carry off the admiral's ship from the midst of them, than attempt to seize this Abellino, who seems to have entered into a compact with Lucifer himself; who is to be found every where and no where; whom so many have seen, but whom no one knows; whose cautious subtilty has brought to shame the vigilance of