Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/356

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THE FATAL NUPTIALS.

UTM, DAVENPORT.

Reazans, a young man of Sicily, remarkable for his accomplishments and his beauty, had won for himself the hand of Leonora, a rich heiress, when she bad reached her eighteenth year. Rizzari, happy in his love, was uofortunate in having for his rival a noble Corsican; and the Corsicans, like to the Siliciuns, have ever dis- tiaguisho] themselves by their vengeance for a supposed affront.

‘The marringe of the brave Rizzari and the lovely Leo- nora, took place in the chapel of the stmull village of Bruca. ‘Ihe ceremony had reached that point where the bridegroom was about to place upon the finger of bis beloved the small, plain, rowed ring, emblematic of the eternity of their love, and the simplicity of their tastes, when there was heard in the chapel a frightful demonine laugh, It was so shrill, eo piercing, and 0 horrible, that it was heard thrilling shove the peals of the organ, and drowning, as it were, the joyous choir that was bursting forth ina heavenly hymn- "Phe sounds were those that might be supposed to come from helt, rather than the echo of a human voice, So extraordinary a circumstance naturally attracted the at- tention of gil; bat to the great astonishment of those Present, it was impoasilie to guess from whom, or whence that awful, terrifying laugh of derision had proceeded.

"Phe marriage ceremony was continued, and this ex- traordinary interruption was soon forgalten amid the imposing solemnities of the mugnificent nuptials.

All the apartments of the castle of Bruca, excepting ‘one—the nuptial chamber—were that day opened to the hundreds of guests which were invited. At sunact the castle was brilliantly Uluminated, and the marriage fenst wae succeeded by dances, which took pluce in the splen- did halts of that ducal palace.

Teonora was. most happy; for she was proud of the husband she had chosen, and she did not even pretend to conceal the joy that she felt in being the wife of Rizzari, Happinesa sparkled in his eyes, and their rays cast gloams of pleasure upon all who looked on them.

It was in the midst of the ball, and at the very time when the happiness of all was complete, that thero was perceived entering into the grand banquet-room two per- sons that were masked, and that wore the habiliments of peasants; these two persons bore with them garlands of flowers, and executed dances with such extraordinary grace, and such astonishing agility, that they soon at- tracted universal regard and admimtion to themselves, It was speedily discovered that they wero unknown to all present, and various persons asked them therefore to declare their names. They let it be known by signs that their devire. was to unmask themselves but to the bridegroom alone, and to preserve their incognito to every one else, They soon afterwards retired, followed by Rizzari.

‘Tho exquisite music of a perfect orchestra gave out the signal for fresh dances and renewed pleasure. The absence of the bridegroom was scarcely remarked, Leo- nora alone sought for him with her looks, and sbe alone appeared troubled that he should be, even for a few mo- ments, from her sight.

Twenty minutes had scarcely elapsed, when the two masks were again entering the ball-room; but their cov- tume bad in the meanwhile been changed; they now wore mourning robes, and they carried a third person along with them, who was enveloped in long white gare ments, They advanced with slow and measured pacea into the very centre of the festive party.

‘Thia dreadful apparition, at 2 moment of joyous feast ing, excited a very unpleasant sensation among the fests; but then no one felt himself authorised to inter fere with that which was supposed to be sanctioned by the giver of the feast himself. When the two indi- viduals, who were masked, reeched the middle of the bali-room they faid down the burden, and then began dances that were at the same time melancholy and gro- tesque.

Leonora, agitated at length by the continued absence of her husbund, could scarcely think of giving # mo- ment’s thought to the funer: e scene before her. At last a secret anxiety~a dread that she could not explain —took possession of her, and she asked, as she trembled with fear, for her spouse,

At that very instant the masks had finished their ter- sible pantomime, They advanced towards her, and one of them, eatching her by her nuptial robe, said in 9 tone of voice sufficiently foud to be heard by several othera, “ Venite a piangere le nostre ¢ le vostre miserie”—Come and weep for your own griefs ae well as ours,

At these words Leonora fell fainting into the arms of her sister-intaw. A confused clamor arose among the guests; they suppored that the two masks bad offered soine insult to the bridle; but the strangers had divappeared before their suspicions assumed the form of certainty.

Tt was now remarked, and with some surprise, that the individual stretched upon the earth, continued still to play,as if it were real, the part of a dead man. He moved not # muscle, and there seemed to be not a single respiration to move the loug sepulchral garment with which he wes concealed. Curiosity induced one of the gueats to raise the arm of this person; it fell heavily back to his sidle, and the hand itself was icy cold. An awful presentiment of horror took possession of the minds of all. Hurriedly they uncovered the face of the person lying before them, Oh, heavens! it was a corpse! Tt was the dead body of the Count Rizzari!

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