"But Muzio cannot have returned from the town, surely," flashed through
Fabio's head, and he darted into the pavilion….
What did he behold?
Coming to meet him, along the path brilliantly flooded with the radiance of the moonlight, also with arms outstretched and lifeless eyes staring widely—was Muzio…. Fabio ran up to him, but the other, without noticing him, walked on, advancing with measured steps, and his impassive face was smiling in the moonlight like the face of the Malay. Fabio tried to call him by name … but at that moment he heard a window bang in the house behind him…. He glanced round….
In fact, the window of the bedroom was open from top to bottom, and with one foot thrust across the sill stood Valeria in the window … and her arms seemed to be seeking Muzio, her whole being was drawn toward him.
Unspeakable wrath flooded Fabio's breast in a suddenly-invading torrent.—"Accursed sorcerer!" he yelled fiercely, and seizing Muzio by the throat with one hand, he fumbled with the other for the dagger in his belt, and buried its blade to the hilt in his side.
Muzio uttered a piercing shriek, and pressing the palm of his hand to the wound, fled, stumbling, back to the pavilion…. But at that same instant, when Fabio stabbed him, Valeria uttered an equally piercing shriek and fell to the ground like one mowed down.
Fabio rushed to her, raised her up, carried her to the bed, spoke to her….
For a long time she lay motionless; but at last she opened her eyes, heaved a deep sigh, convulsively and joyously, like a person who has just been saved from inevitable death,—caught sight of her husband, and encircling his neck with her arms, pressed herself to his breast.
"Thou, thou, it is thou," she stammered. Gradually the clasp of her arms relaxed, her head sank backward, and whispering, with a blissful smile:—"Thank God, all is over…. But how weary I am!"—she fell into a profound but not heavy slumber.