THE ABDUCTION.
It was originally Stephano Verrina's intention to observe good faith
with Nisida in respect to the service on which she had intimated her
desire to employ him and his band. But so dazzled was he by her almost
supernatural majesty of beauty on that night when he and his companions
encountered her in the Riverola palace, that he would have promised, or
indeed undertaken, anything calculated to please or benefit her.
When, however, he came to reflect calmly upon the service in which
Nisida had enlisted him, he began to suspect that some motive more
powerful than the mere desire to effect the liberation of an innocent
man influenced that lady. Had she not put to death a beautiful creature
who had resided in the same dwelling with Fernand Wagner? and did not
that deed bear upon its aspect the stamp of an Italian woman's
vengeance? Thus thought Stephano, and he soon arrived at the very
natural conclusion that Nisida loved Fernand Wagner. Wagner was
therefore his rival; and Verrina did not consider it at all in
accordance with his own particular views in respect to Nisida, to aid in
effecting that rival's liberation, should he be condemned by the
tribunal.
Again Stephano reflected that as Wagner's acquittal was within the range
of probability, it would be expedient to possess himself of Nisida
_before_ the trial took place;--and what opportunity could be more
favorable than the one which that lady herself afforded by the
appointment she had given him for the Sunday evening at the gate of
Saint Mary's Cathedral?
All these considerations had determined the bandit to adopt speedy and
strenuous measures to possess himself of Nisida, of whom he was so madly
enamored that the hope of gratifying his passion predominated even over
the pride and delight he had hitherto experienced in commanding the
Florentine robbers.
The appointed evening came; and Stephano, disguised in his black mask,
repaired a few minutes before ten to the immediate vicinity of the old
cathedral. At the corner of an adjacent street, two men, mounted on
powerful horses, and holding a third steed by the bridle, were in
readiness; and, crouched in the black darkness formed by the shade of a
huge buttress of the cathedral, two members of the troop which Lomellino
now commanded lay concealed--for the new captain of banditti had lent
some of his stanchest followers to further the designs of the
ex-chieftain.
A heavy rain had fallen in the early part of the day; but it ceased ere
the sun went down; and the stars shone forth like beauty's eyes when the
tears of grief have been wiped away by the lips of the lover.
Stephano paced the arena in front of the sacred edifice; and at length a
gentle tread and a rustling of velvet met his ears. Then, in a few
moments, as if emerging from the darkness, the majestic form of Nisida
appeared; and when Stephano approached her, she drew aside her veil for
an instant--only for a single instant, that he might convince himself of
her identity with the lady for whom he was waiting.
But as the light of the silver stars beamed for a moment on the
countenance of Nisida, that mild and placid luster was out-vied by the
dazzling brilliancy of her large black eyes: and mental excitement had
imparted a rich carnation hue to her cheek, rendering her so
surpassingly beautiful that Stephano could almost have fallen on his
knees to worship and adore her. But, oh! what lovely skins do some
snakes wear!--and into what charming shapes does satan often get!
Nisida had replaced her veil while yet Verrina's eyes were fixed on her
bewitching countenance; then, placing her finger lightly upon his
arm--oh! how that gentle touch thrilled through him!--she made a sign
for him to follow her toward a niche in the deep gateway of the
cathedral: for in that niche was an image of the Madonna, and before it
burnt a lamp night and day. To gain that spot it was necessary to pass
the buttress in whose shade the two banditti lay concealed.
Stephano trembled as he followed that lady whom he knew to be as
intrepid, bold, and desperate as she was beautiful:--he trembled,
perhaps for the first time in his life, because never until now had he
felt himself overawed by the majesty of loveliness and the resolute mind
of a woman. But he had gone too far to retreat--even if that temporary
and almost unaccountable timidity had prompted him to abandon his
present design;--yes, he had gone too far--for at that moment when
Nisida was passing the huge buttress, the two brigands sprung forth: and
though her hand instantly grasped her dagger, yet so suddenly and
effectually was she overpowered that she had not even time to draw it
from its sheath.
Fortunately for the scheme of Stephano, the great square in front of the
cathedral was at that moment completely deserted by the usual evening
loungers; and thus did he and his companions experience not the
slightest interruption as they bore Nisida firmly and rapidly along to
the corner of the street where the horses were in attendance.
The lady's hands were already bound, and her dagger had been taken from
her; and thus the resistance she was enabled to make was very slight,
when Stephano, having sprung upon one of the horses, received the
charming burden from the banditti, and embraced that fine voluptuous
form in his powerful arms.
The two men who had waited with Stephano's horse were already mounted on
their own, as before stated, and the little party was now in readiness
to start.
"No further commands, signor?" said one of the banditti who had first
seized upon Nisida.
"None, my brave fellow. Tell Lomellino that I sent him my best wishes
for his prosperity. And now for a rapid journey to Leghorn!"
"Good-night, signor."
"Good-night. Farewell--farewell, my friends!" cried Verrina; and
clapping spurs to his steed, he struck into a quick gallop, his two
mounted companions keeping pace with him, and riding one on either side,
so as to prevent any possibility of escape on the part of Donna Nisida
of Riverola.
In a few minutes the little party gained the bank of the Arno, along
which they pursued their rapid way, lighted by the lovely moon, which
now broke forth from the purple sky, and seemed, with its chaste beams
playing on the surface of the water, to put a soul into the very river
as it ran!