months Giacomo never caused his gentle wife a sigh or a tear; everything went well with them, and the blessing of heaven rested on their humble roof. But at length misfortune fell on their house. It began with the death of the'r first-born infant, and then followed a failure of their crops, and various losses in money. But all this could have been borne, for they had nothing to reproach themselves for. At length a great change came over Giacomo Renni, owing to an intimacy he had formed with some young men in the neighbourhood, who were noted for their dissolute lives. He was first attracted by their cheerful conversation when his spirits were sorely depressed under his losses, and soon they initiated him into their habits. About this time Giacomo's father died, and the whole weight of supporting the family fell upon him; but, alas! he was no longer industrious and cheerful, excepting the reckless sort of happiness produced by intoxication. Gradually everything went wrong and fell into decay, and abject want began to be known where plenty had hitherto reigned. Giacomo, when sober, was rent in heart by the changed appearance of things, and, to drown remorse, drank deeper and deeper, and every day wrought a change for the worse in his form and face. Pale and attenuated, his person neglected, his clothes ragged, and a reckless swagger in his gait no one who had known Giacomo Renni at the period of his marriage could have identified him a year after. - One evening he was drinking with his favourite companions, when a recruiting party entered the house, and were hailed with cheers by the drunken Giacomo and his friends. Before the night closed in, the unfortunate young man had enlisted, perfectly unconscious of the act, and the next morning when he awoke, confused and distracted with the headache, and was reminded of his engagement, he scarce repented it. He felt that he was a curse and a misery to his family, and that his absence would be a positive blessing to them. He dared not communicate the step he had taken to his poor wife, or even to see her, and he left his native place without seeing his family, leaving a letter to explain his situation. Elisa was completely stunned by the blow, and his mother, who had long been in delicate health, took to her bed and became alarmingly ill. Under these afflicting circumstances, when Elisa was unable to work, owing to her approaching confinement, and the dumb girl wholly occupied in attending the two invalids, their sorrows were even aggravated by the privations of want. The A brother soldier of Giacomo's received a letter from home, and, in it was mentioned, that Giacomo's wife and mother were dying. soldier inadvertently spoke of this to the wretched man, but repented his rashness when he marked the effect of his communication. Giacomo, however, soon quelled his feelings, and appeared to think little on the subject, till one morning he was missing. All his companions conjectured the truth, and all pitied him; they were questioned and compelled to speak their thoughts. Hence the melancholy scene of his speedy arrest, which we have before described. It may be as well to finish the adventures of this unhappy young man in this place. He was taken to head-quarters, tried and condemned. Every one knew his story, and the court-martial grieved much for him, but justice cannot be subservient to pity. The day arrived for his sentence to be executed, and on the morning of that day Elisa had reached him, and was permitted to remain with him till the appointed hour. That fearful hour came, and Giacomo was led forth to the destined spot, and his wife quietly followed one of the soldier's wives to her apartment, and pretended to sleep. The woman, seeing her so calm, went out on some business, and the moment she was out of sight, Elisa stole from the house, and fled in the direction of the place of execution. The deserter was kneeling, in momentary expectation of his fate, with his eyes bandaged, and surrounded by hundreds of spectators. At length the fatal signal was given, and, at the same instant, Elisa was clinging about Giacomo's neck! No one had seen her approach-no one knew from whence she came ! A shudder ran through the crowd, and all eyes were averted from the terrible sight. The order to fire had been promptly obeyed, and the husband and wife fell together to the earth without a sound! * * * Teresa had left the cottage of these poor people, accompanied by her nurse and child, soon after the arrest of Giacomo, and she returned home, there to await intelligence respecting her friend Jessy Bentley. She remembered that Sedley had been silent on the subject of his haste and agitation when she first encountered him hurrying along the banks of the lake, and, from this studied silence, she augured something more frightful than she had yet conjectured. Had the unfortunate maniac destroyed herself? At this thought |