Your disbelief of my story seems the more extraordinary, as you allude to a well-authenticated fact in her life, which should rather support than invalidate the tenor of my narrative.’ He said no more, and I proceeded.
“Soon after this unaccountable disturbance, I happened to request of the bride, who sat opposite to me, that I might be allowed to look again at her marriage-ring, which was of very beautiful workmanship; she nodded assent, but, to her great consternation, it was no longer on her finger. Search was diligently made—all rose to give their assistance for that purpose, but in vain; the ring was irretrievably gone! The hour, meanwhile, drew near, at which the evening amusements were to commence. The masked ball was to be preceded by a very brilliant display of fireworks on the river. The party arrayed themselves, in the first place, in their fancy dresses, and entered their gondolas. But the silence that prevailed among them all was, on such an occasion, most extraordinary; they could not possibly recover their spirits. The fireworks were admirable, yet, notwithstanding their success, only a feeble ‘bravo’ was heard now and then among the spectators.
