"My dearest girl, pardon me, forgive me!" cried Wagner, in a tone of bitter anguish. "My G.o.d! I ought not to upbraid thee for that watchfulness during my absence, and that joy at my return, which prove that you love me! Again I say, pardon me, dearest Agnes."

"You need not ask me, Fernand," was the reply. "Only speak kindly to me----"

"I do, I will, Agnes," interrupted Wagner. "But leave me now! Let me regain my own chamber alone; I have reasons, urgent reasons for so doing; and this afternoon, Agnes, I shall be composed--collected again.

Do you proceed by that path; I will take this."

And, hastily pressing her hand, Wagner broke abruptly away.

For a few moments Agnes stood looking after him in vacant astonishment at his extraordinary manner, and also at his alarming appearance, but concerning which latter she had not dared to question him.

When he had entered the mansion by a private door, Agnes turned and pursued her way along a circuitous path shaded on each side by dark evergreens, and which was the one he had directed her to take so as to regain the front gate of the dwelling.

But scarcely had she advanced a dozen paces, when a sudden rustling among the trees alarmed her; and in an instant a female form--tall, majestic, and with a dark veil thrown over her head, stood before her.

Agnes uttered a faint shriek: for, although the lady's countenance was concealed by the veil, she had no difficulty in recognizing the stranger who had already terrified her on three previous occasions, and who seemed to haunt her.

And, as if to dispel all doubt as to the ident.i.ty, the majestic lady suddenly tore aside her veil, and disclosed to the trembling, shrinking Agnes, features already too well known.

But, if the lightning of those brilliant, burning, black eyes had seemed terrible on former occasions, they were now absolutely blasting, and Agnes fell upon her knees, exclaiming, "Mercy! mercy! how have I offended you?"

For a few moments those basilisk-eyes darted forth shafts of fire and flame, and the red lips quivered violently, and the haughty brow contracted menacingly, and Agnes was stupefied, stunned, fascinated, terribly fascinated by that tremendous rage, the vengeance of which seemed ready to explode against her.

But only a few moments lasted that dreadful scene; for the lady, whose entire appearance was that of an avenging fiend in the guise of a beauteous woman, suddenly drew a sharp poniard from its sheath in her bodice, and plunged it into the bosom of the hapless Agnes.

The victim fell back; but not a shriek--not a sound escaped her lips.

The blow was well aimed, the poniard was sharp and went deep, and death followed instantaneously.

For nearly a minute did the murderess stand gazing on the corpse--the corpse of one erst so beautiful; and her countenance, gradually relaxing from its stern, implacable expression, a.s.sumed an air of deep remorse--of bitter, bitter compunction.

But probably yielding to the sudden thought that she must provide for her own safety, the murderess drew forth the dagger from the white bosom in which it was buried: hastily wiped it upon a leaf; returned it to the sheath; and, replacing the veil over her countenance, hurried rapidly away from the scene of her fearful crime.

CHAPTER XV.

THE SBIRRI--THE ARREST.

Scarcely ten minutes had elapsed since the unfortunate Agnes was thus suddenly cut off in the bloom of youth and beauty, when a lieutenant of police, with his guard of sbirri, pa.s.sed along the road skirting Wagner's garden.

They were evidently in search of some malefactor, for, stopping in their course, they began to deliberate on the business which they had in hand.

"Which way could he possibly have gone?" cried one, striking the b.u.t.t-end of his pike heavily upon the ground.

"How could we possibly have missed him?" exclaimed another.

"Stephano is not so easily caught, my men," observed the lieutenant. "He is the most astute and cunning of the band of which he is the captain.

And yet, I wish we had pounced upon him, since we were so nicely upon his track."

"And a thousand ducats offered by the state for his capture," suggested one of the sbirri.

"Yes; 'tis annoying!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the lieutenant, "but I could have sworn he pa.s.sed this way."

"And I could bear the same evidence, signor," observed the first speaker. "Maybe he has taken refuge in those bushes."

"Not unlikely. We are fools to grant him a moment's vantage ground. Over the fence, my men, and beat amongst these gardens."

Thus speaking, the lieutenant set the example, by leaping the railing, and entering the grounds belonging to Wagner's abode.

The sbirri, who were six in number, including their officer, divided themselves into two parties, and proceeded to search the gardens.

Suddenly a loud cry of horror burst from one of the sections; and when the other hastened to the spot, the sbirri composing it found their comrades in the act of raising the corpse of Agnes.

"She is quite dead," said the lieutenant, placing his hand upon her heart. "And yet the crime cannot have been committed many minutes, as the corpse is scarcely cold, and the blood still oozes forth."

"What a lovely creature she must have been," exclaimed one of the sbirri.

"Cease your profane remarks, my man," cried the lieutenant. "This must be examined into directly. Does any one know who dwells in that mansion?"

"Signor Wagner, a wealthy German," was the reply given by a sbirro.

"Then come with me, my man," said the lieutenant; "and let us lose no time in searching his house. One of you must remain by the corpse--and the rest may continue the search after the bandit, Stephano."

Having issued these orders, the lieutenant, followed by the sbirro whom he had chosen to accompany him, hastened to the mansion.

The gate was opened by an old porter, who stared in astonishment when he beheld the functionaries of justice visiting that peaceful dwelling. But the lieutenant ordered him to close and lock the gate; and having secured the key, the officer said, "We must search this house; a crime has been committed close at hand."

"A crime!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the porter; "then the culprit is not here--for there is not a soul beneath this roof who would perpetrate a misdeed."

"Cease your prating, old man," said the lieutenant, sternly. "We have a duty to perform--see that we be not molested in executing it."

"But what is the crime, signor, of which----"

"Nay--that you shall know anon," interrupted the lieutenant. "In the name of his serene highness, the duke, I command you in the first place to lead me and my followers to the presence of your master."

The old man hastened to obey this mandate, and he conducted the sbirri into the chamber where Wagner, having thrown off his garments, was partaking of that rest which he so much needed.

At the sound of heavy feet and the clanking of martial weapons, Fernand started from the slumber into which he had fallen only a few minutes previously.

"What means this insolent intrusion?" he exclaimed, his cheeks flushing with anger at the presence of the police.

"Pardon us, signor," said the lieutenant, in a respectful tone: "but a dreadful crime has been committed close by--indeed within the inclosure of your own grounds----"

"A dreadful crime!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Wagner.

"Yes, signor; a crime----"

The officer was interrupted by an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of surprise which burst from the lips of his attendant sbirro; and, turning hastily round, he beheld his follower intently scrutinizing the attire which Fernand had ere now thrown off.