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space between them. Vivenzio shuddered as he gazed, and as his steps traversed the narrowed area. But his feelings no longer vented themselves in frantie wailings. With folded arms, and elenehed teeth, with eyes that were blood-shot from much watching, and fixed with a vaeant glare upon tho ground, with a hard quick breathing, and a hurried walk, he strode baekwards and forwards in silent musing for several hours. What mind shall eoneeive, What tongue utter, or what pen deseribe the dark and terrible character of his thoughts! Like the fate that moulded them, they had no similitude in the wide range of this world’s agony for man. Suddenly he stopped, and his eyes were riveted upon that part of the wall which was over his bed of straw. Words are inscribed here! A human language, traeed by a human hand! He rushes towards them: but his blood freezes as he reads:
"I, Ludovica Sforza, tempted by the gold of the prinee of Tolfi, spent three years in eontriving and exeeuting this aceursed triumph of my art. When it was completed, the perfidious Tolfi, more devil than man, who condueted me hither one morning, to be witness as he said, of its perfection, doomed me to be the first victim of my own pernieious skill; lest as he declared, I should divulge the seeret, or repeat the effort of my ingenuity. May God pardon him, as I hope he will me, that ministered to his unhallowed purpose! Miserable wreteh, whoe’er thou art, that readest thesc lines, fall on thy knees, and invoke as I have done, His sustaining mercy, who alone can nervo thee to meet tho vengeanee of Tolfi, armed with his tremendous engine, which in a few hours must crush you, as it will the needy wreteh that made it."
A deep groan burst from Vivenzio. He stood
