for having restored me my soul, but to give you a letter which will
restore you your wife, and tell you the whole truth about her into the
bargain."

"Who wrote your letter?" I asked him, and he told me, "One who knows.
Miriam the Jewess."

I am to confess that he deceived me again. I was fool enough to believe
that he could explain to me the guilty history of these two persons
behind me--these two and their child. We believe what we desire to
believe, whether it be of good or evil report. I bade him give me his
letter; he dismounted and came towards me, fumbling in his cloak. "'Tis
here," he was muttering to himself. "No, no, that is my pardon from his
Holiness. Ah, what have we here? Nay, 'tis my certificate of communion.
How, how? Have I lost it?" Grumbling and mumbling, grating his loose
tooth, he was close upon me, his hand deep in his cloak. "Ha, ha!" he
suddenly cried, "now I have it!" and whipped out his hand. Belviso
shrieked my name aloud, "Francis, my lord and king!" and flung himself
upon my breast. There was a shocking report of a pistol, discharged
close at hand. Belviso shuddered and fell limp--a dead weight. I raised
my arm, levelled, and shot Palamone through the head.

We picked up the lifeless form of that lad whom I had once loved for his
love of me and laid him by the fire. Virginia knelt beside him, pale and
tearless; pale, stern and tearless also I stood above him, my weapon
still reeking in my hand. "Woman," said I hoarsely, "would that I had
fired that shot. Do you dare to say that he has not got his deserts?"

She did not answer me; she was busy with the dead. She opened his jacket
and vest and put her hand below his shirt to feel if his heart yet