Instantly a loud cry of terror resounded through the apartment.
Rosabella sank fainting at the bravo's feet; the conspirators were
almost suffocated with rage, terror, and astonishment; the ladies
made signs of the cross, and began in all haste to repeat their
paternosters; the senators stood rooted to their places like so many
statues; and the Doge doubted the information of his ears and eyes.
Calm and terrible stood the bravo before them, in all the pomp of
his strange and awful ugliness, with his bravo's habit, his girdle
filled with pistols and poniards, his distorted yellow countenance,
his black and bushy eyebrows, his lips convulsed, his right eye
covered by a large patch, and his left half buried among the
wrinkles of flesh which swelled around it. He gazed around him for
a few moments in silence, and then approached the stupefied Andreas.
"Ho! ho!" he roared in a voice like thunder, "you wish to see the
bravo Abellino? Doge of Venice, here he stands, and is come to
claim his bride."
Andreas gazed with looks of horror on this model for demons, and at
length stammered out with difficulty, "It cannot be real; I must
surely be the sport of some terrible dream."
"Without there, guards!" exclaimed the Cardinal Gonzaga, and would
have hastened to the folding doors, when Abellino put his back
against them, snatched a pistol from his girdle, and pointed it at
the Cardinal's bosom.
"The first," cried he, "who calls for the guard, or advances one
step from the place on which he stands, expires that moment. Fools!
Do ye think I would have delivered myself up, and desired that
guards might beset these doors, had I feared their swords, or
intended to escape from your power? No; I am content to be your
prisoner, but not through compulsion! I am content to be your
prisoner; and it was with that intent that I came hither. No mortal
should have the glory of seizing Abellino. If justice required him
to be delivered up, it was necessary that he should be delivered up
by himself! Or do ye take Abellino for an ordinary ruffian, who
passes his time in skulking from the sbirri, and who murders for the
sake of despicable plunder? No, by heaven, no! Abellino was no
such common villain. It's true I was a bravo; but the motives which
induced me to become one were great and striking."
Andreas (clasping his hands together).--Almighty God! can all this
be possible?
An awful silence again reigned through the saloon. All trembled
while they listened to the voice of the terrible assassin, who
strode through the chamber proud and majestic as the monarch of the
infernal world.