Page:The Literary Magnet 1824 vol 2.djvu/239

 he could not prevail on his son to force Maredata to disclose her secret, discovered the whole to the king, who had engaged himself to end this affair. He therefore received Giulio with hard words; reproaching him with a sinful alliance with a fairy, and commanded him, under pain of disgrace, to learn immediately the truth from Maredata, and threatened even to burn his wife, as a being devoted to the demon. At these words of the king, Giulio lost his patience; a spirit of rage seemed to have taken possession of his soul. He hastened home, rushed into the apartment of his wife, whom he found playing with her child in her arms. He brandished his sword over her head, and with flaming eyes, and thundering voice, exclaimed “Thou cursed witch, who art thou? Speak, or instant death,”—but he could not finish his sentence, for she fell into his arms, and cried out, “Now indeed is it time to speak! Now indeed we must part, and part for ever!” A flood of tears checked her words, but she overcame her emotion, and with a sweet voice she entreated her amazed husband, who, at the first sound of her voice had lost his rage, to sit down near her, and then she proceeded: “Know then, my only love, that I was born in the depth of the ocean. Once, as thou wert swimming near the shore, I beheld, I loved thee. But our laws will not permit us to speak to any mortal, or if we do, his life is forfeited to the powerful spirits of the deep. Oh! how difficult is it to be mute when love fills the heart! The word would part from the lips, yet I was silent, and now, that I have once spoke to thee, I must depart, and my child too. For the revenge of the spirits is dreadful, and all of us would soon be sacrificed to their wrath should I delay any longer. Farewell, Giulio! from this moment, I take leave of joy, of love, and happiness! Farewell!” She embraced him, and would depart, but Giulio, trembling like a murderer at the sight of the gory wound of his victim, rose suddenly, and seizing the child, cried out, “Never! never, shalt thou depart; never shalt thou carry off my child!” But she gazed on him with a long, deep look, that chilled his blood to his very heart; then she began to sing in such mournful, pensive sounds, that he lost his senses.