"Father! father! father!" he cried in a piercing voice, "here is the Bastard who Has just murdered Nisida!"The old man, who had drunk but a few drops of the narcotic potion, was awakened by this cry which echoed through his soul; he arose as though moved by a spring, flung off his coverings, and with that promptitude of action that God has bestowed upon mothers in moments of danger, event up to his daughter's room, found a light, knelt on the edge of the bed, and began to test his child's pulse and watch her breathing with mortal anxiety.
All! this had passed in less time than we have taken in telling it.
Brancaleone by an unheard-of effort had freed himself from the hands of the young fisherman, and suddenly resuming his princely pride, said in a loud voice, "You shall not kill me without listening to me."Gabriel would have overwhelmed him with Bitter reproaches, but, unable to utter a single word, he burst into tears.
"Your sifter is not dead," said the prince, with cold dignity; "she is merely asleep.You can assure yourself of it, and meanwhile Iundertake, upon my Honour, not to move a single step away."These words were pronounced with such an accent of truth that the fisherman was struck by them.An unexpected gleam of hope suddenly dawned in his thoughts; he cast upon the stranger a glance of hate and distrust, and muttered in a muffled voice, "Do not flatter yourself, in any case, that you will be able to escape me."Then he went up to his sister's room, and approaching the old man, asked tremblingly, "Well, father?"Solomon thrust him gently aside with the solicitude of a mother removing some buzzing insect from her child's cradle, and, making a sign to enjoin silence, added in a low voice, "She is neither dead nor poisoned.Some philtre has been given to her for a bad purpose.
Her breathing is even, and she cannot fail to recover from her lethargy."Gabriel, reassured about Nisida's life, returned silently to the ground floor where he had left the seducer.His manner was grave and gloomy; he was coming now not to rend the murderer of his sister with his hands, but to elucidate a treacherous and infamous mystery, and to avenge his honour which had been basely attacked.He opened wide the double entrance door that admitted daylight to the apartment in which, on the few nights that he spent at home, he was accustomed to sleep with his father.The rain had just stopped, a ray of moonlight pierced the clouds, and all at once made its way into the room.The fisherman adjusted his dripping garments, walked towards the stranger, who awaited him without stirring, and after having gazed upon him haughtily, said, "Now you are going to explain your presence in our house.""I confess," said the prince, in an easy tone and with the most insolent assurance, "that appearances are against me.It is the fate of lovers to be treated as thieves.But although I have not the advantage of being known to you, I am betrothed to the fair Nisida--with your father's approval, of course.Now, as I have the misfortune to possess very hardhearted parents, they have had the cruelty to refuse me their consent.Love led me astray, and I was about to be guilty of a fault for which a young man like you ought to have some indulgence.Furthermore, it was nothing but a mere attempt at an abduction, with the best intentions in the world, I swear, and I am ready to atone for everything if you will agree to give me your hand and call me your brother.""I will agree to call you a coward and a betrayer!" replied Gabriel, whose face had begun to glow, as he heard his sister spoken of with such impudent levity."If it is thus that insults are avenged in towns, we fishers have a different plan.Ah! so you flattered yourself with the thought of bringing desolation aid disgrace into our home, and of paying infamous assassins to come and share an old man's bread so as to poison his daughter, of stealing by night, like a brigand, armed with a dagger, into my sister's room, and of being let off by marrying the most beautiful woman in the kingdom!"The prince made a movement.
"Listen," continued Gabriel: "I could break you as I broke your dagger just now; but I have pity on you.I see that you can do nothing with your hands, neither defend yourself nor work.Go, Ibegin to understand; you are a braggart, my fine sir; your poverty is usurped; you have decked yourself in these poor clothes, but you are unworthy of them."He suffered a glance of crushing contempt to fall upon the prince, then going to a cupboard hidden in the wall, he drew out a rifle and an axe.
"Here," said he, "are all the weapons in the house; choose."A flash of joy illuminated the countenance of the prince, who had hitherto suppressed his rage.He seized the rifle eagerly, drew three steps backward, and drawing himself up to his full height, said, "You would have done better to lend me this weapon at the beginning; for then I would have been spared from witnessing your silly vapourings and frantic convulsions.Thanks, young-man; one of my servants will bring you back your gun.Farewell."And he threw him his purse, which fell heavily at the fisherman's feet.
"I lent you that rifle to fight with me," cried Gabriel, whom surprise had rooted to the spot.
"Move aside, my lad; you are out of your senses," said the prince, taking a step towards the door.
"So you refuse to defend yourself?" asked Gabriel in a determined voice.
"I have told you already that I cannot fight with you.""Why not?"