acquired in my own eyes, and at the prospect of a handsome remuneration
for my services, from the lovely object of them. Sanazio, with lamp in
hand, and arrayed in his night attire, to my great terror and surprise,
opened the door to me himself; it was very late, Druso had long since
returned without me, and in order to allay the storm which I saw gathering
upon mine ancient master's brow, I slipped the gold given to me by the
confidante of beautiful Antonia, into his unreluctant hand.

"Unhappy youth!" exclaimed Sanazio, "beware of aiding the nun, lest thou
bring upon her and upon thyself the fate of Artemisia and Serventius."

These words so alarmed me that I nearly fainted; for how, in the name of
all things holy and gracious, came Sanazio to know in whose society I had
passed the last hour, and what was the subject of our conversation? His
terrible allusion too, to those lost loved ones, of whose untimely fate I
was still so ignorant, strangely troubled my conscious breast. Let me be
brief, the hours of my ill-fated existence are fast wearing away, and I
have yet more to relate. To Ignatius Druso I was obliged to confide my
secret, because his assistance, in the furtherance of plans which were
always requiring, from little immaterial circumstances, some slight
alterations, was found necessary; and it must here suffice those to know,
who shall, after my destruction do me the melancholy favour of perusing
this retrospective record, that some months after Antonia had taken the
veil, I succeeded in restoring her to the arms of her lover, witnessed
their private nuptials, visited them in their new residence, a villa in a
secluded spot far from Padua, and received my promised recompense. "Young
man! you've ruined yourself; and your fatal destiny is sealed!" were the
remarkable words of Sanazio, on the morning after the completion of my
enterprise, but long ere the elopement of the new devotee became publicly
known. However, he never reverted to the subject, not even upon his