lightened hearts to their apartments, the elder portion to repose, the
younger ones to prepare for the brilliant festival and ball which the
following day was to witness.

In a richly furnished apartment of the castle, the young and handsome wife
of one of the archducal counsellors was pacing up and down, her full and
voluptuous form reflected on every side by the tall Venetian mirrors that
covered the walls of the apartment. The lady was apparently in no gentle
mood; her step was hurried and impatient, her face flushed, her lips
peevishly compressed, and her irritation seemed to increase each time that
she passed before a table on which were displayed a number of jewel-boxes
and caskets, all open, and nearly all empty. Since the Easter festival of
the preceding year, the caprices and necessities of this spendthrift
beauty had abstracted one by one the rich kernels from these now worthless
husks, and the recollection of the follies, or worse, in which their value
had been squandered, now came to aggravate the vexation which the want of
the jewels occasioned her. So absorbed was she in the consideration of her
annoyances and perplexities, that for some time she took no notice of the
presence of a young and graceful female in plain attire, who stood
apparently in deep thought in the embrasure of one of the windows. The
maiden had her back turned to the room; but the admirable contours of her
fine figure, and the rich luxuriance of the jet-black locks that flowed
over her shoulders, gave promise of a perfection that was not belied, when,
on an exclamation of impatience from her mistress, she suddenly turned
round, and revealed the beauteous features of Dansowich's daughter. She it
was who formed the usual medium of communication between the pirates and
their archducal allies; and during her frequent sojourns at Gradiska, she
assumed the character of attendant on the counsellor's lady.

"Holy Virgin!" exclaimed the court dame, stamping her foot violently on