He obeyed her with the mechanical submission produced by astonishment and curiosity, mingled with admiration for that bold and daring woman, whom he already loved and resolved to win: but his surprise was increased a hundred-fold, when he perused these lines:—“I am the Lady Nisida of Riverola. Your design is known to me; it matters not how. Rumor has doubtless told you that I am deaf and dumb; hence this mode of communicating with you. You have been deluded by an idle knave—for there is no treasure in the closet yonder. Even if there had been, I should have removed it the moment your intended predatory visit was made known to me. But you can serve me; and I will reward you well for your present disappointment.”
“What does the paper say?” demanded Lomellino and Piero, the captain’s two companions, almost in the same breath.
“It says just this much,” returned Stephano—and he read the writing aloud.
“The Lady Nisida!” ejaculated Lomellino. “Then it is she who used her dagger so well in Wagner’s garden.”
“Peace, silly fool!” cried Stephano. “You have now let out the secret to Piero. True, ’tis no matter, as he is as stanch to me as you are; and therefore he may as well know that this lady here was the murderess of the young female in Wagner’s garden: for I saw her do the deed when I was concealed among the evergreens there. She is as much in our power as we are in hers, and we will let her know it if she means any treachery.”
“But how could she have discovered that we meant to come here to-night, and what our object was?” asked Piero.
“Antonio must have peached, that’s clear!” returned Stephano; “and therefore he did not join us, as agreed, in the hall down-stairs. But no matter. It seems there’s gold to be earned in this lady’s service: and even if there wasn’t I have such an affection for her I would cut the throat of the duke or the cardinal archbishop himself merely to give her pleasure.”
Then turning toward Nisida, whose courage seemed partially to have abandoned her, for her countenance was ghastly pale, and her hand trembled so that it could scarcely hold the lamp, Stephano made a low bow, as much as to imply that he was entirely at her service.
Nisida made a powerful effort to subdue the emotions that were agitating her: and, advancing toward the door, she made a sign for the banditti to follow her.
She led them to her own suit of apartments, and to the innermost room—her own bed-chamber—having carefully secured the several doors through which they passed.