Schedoni, while he detected her meaning, and persuaded himself that he despised the flattery, with which she so thinly veiled it, unconsciously suffered his self-love to be soothed by the compliment. He bowed his head, in signal of consent to her wish.
"Avoid violence, if that be possible," she added, immediately comprehending him, "but let her die quickly! The punishment is due to the crime."
The Marchesa happened, as she said this, to cast her eyes upon the inscription over a Confessional, where appeared, in black letters, these awful words, "God hears thee!" It appeared an awful warning. Her countenance changed; it had struck upon her heart. Schedoni was too much engaged by his own thoughts to observe, or understand her silence. She soon recovered herself; and considering that this was a common inscription for Confessionals, disregarded what she had at first considered as a peculiar admonition; yet some moments elapsed, before she could renew the subject.
"You was speaking of a place, father," resumed the Marchesa——"you mentioned a"——
"Ay," muttered the Confessor, still musing,—"in a chamber of that house there is"——
"What noise is that?" said the Marchesa, interrupting him. They listened. A few low and querulous notes of the organ sounded at a distance, and stopped again.
"What mournful music is that?" said the Marchesa in a faultering voice. "It was touched by a fearful hand! Vespers were over long ago!"
"Daughter," said Schedoni, somewhat sternly, "you said you had a man's courage. Alas! you have a woman's heart."
"Excuse me, father; I know not why I feel this agitation, but I will command it. That chamber?"——
"In that chamber," resumed the Confessor, "is a secret door, constructed long ago."——