Show t tl l Ow Bert u o ro tr t r LOVE or E D DEATH ii I ILOVE BY B Y 1 rt w I IL I L l' l Sabatini l THE STORY CHAPTER I. I In I.-In In the town of Urbino Italy when It was wal under the control of Cesare Cesar Borgia famous military commander commander commander com com- mander aa ae 1 well aa as treat great statesman a certain leller Con arrant rOI la le flourishing M at a fortune fortune fortune for for- tune tt teller lIer caster calter of spells poll and na- na er of poisons to those thou who can afford to pay for tor them To him cornea come In great roat secrecy the Lady Blanca de' de Fioravanti beautiful daughter of the therl rl rich b and powerful lord of ot the Castle of ot San Leo which I. I holding holding- out outa a against the power of ot even Cesare Cau Bor Bor- gia aria In the act of entering the girl la le astounded by the appearance of what whal she ate take for an apparition but who turns turn to b. b be human as lra f and anI eTT lots e Ti n nor r. r at r cerer for an elixir which will compol compel love lo and mentions mention the name of f the man I i she ahe desires desire to conquer Lorento Lorenso Castrocaro Castro Castro- caro serving und under t CUR Cesar Burgh Borgia Corvinus for tor a large lare sum aum of q toy ney rives riven h hI r. r a potion with wilh Ct- Ct I n U nr e A U. U eit s leaves the apparition appears before He lie la t. the much dreaded Cesare I himself Borgia learns learna that C h. h has hasa a substance which he declares will r. r re- re tore store the dead dud to life He then accuses use the man of spreading the report that the Sultan hid hAd been destroyed destroy b by the Holy Father through a subtle pulson which had supplied d denies U IJ but lt admits adl h h- h a aca ca f poison cesare torte to drink It It and nd restore himself to life Ute The Th sorcerer secures an emetic and aD saves avea himself CHAPTER II At n.-At At a council at which Castrocaro Is la present the duke la Is as assured assured as- as by his hla officers that the Ibe castle cantle of ofSan ofSan ofSan San Leo Is practically Impregnable and aneS cnn can only be starved out This will lakemore take lake more time than Cesare la Is willing to devote to the task talk Castrocaro tells tell the duke he has hal frequently scaled the mountain on which the castle castle callie la Is situated altu- altu With a. a subtle purpose purpose and be- be I l Castrocaro tr Is le s not ot ao so t Insensible n e I to Co s beauty as a. the girl supposes sup sup- poses he sends him to her ber with a message mes mee- a sage e that her fa father r bf II la sick In San SaD Leo 10 The young officer return returns from visit a the duke to allow now Blanco Blanco- to Vl her fattier father Borgia Dorn refuses but secretly gives orde orders that she ahe he la le to b be allowed permission to pass paIS through the besieging lines Unu If she makes the attempt He H. then accepts Castrocaro aid and makes make Castrocaro an offer of the governorship governorship governor governor- ship of the place If through hU Ma efforts effort It la le taken Of course a misstep or capture Is certain death but the he young man accepts accept the offer otter I CHAPTER III Castrocaro Castrocaro after I superhuman efforts succeeds In entering en en- I en-I his l the place undiscovered plan pIau being to open the gates to a large party of ot Borgias Borgia's soldiers who l 1 will be hidden outside On the verge vergeot cf ot success he is captured His story I that he ho is the bearer hearer of ot a message message I 1 from the lord of ot San Leo who of ot I course is not In the castle is too 1 ab absurd urd to be believed and ani he is sentenced sentenced sen sen- sen-I sen to death b by the castellan Tolentino I CHAPTER IV Its lIls His position and his hla I uncomfortable surroundings pi event event him sleeping so Castrocaro gives himself himself him him- I self up to thoughts of Blanca for whom he has lies long had bad a d deep ep att affection Her high position and his hll comparatively comparatively lively low one had bad not allowed him to hope hOlle Next morning taken ta before Tolentino To- To I lentino he be Is Identified d by a soldier I Iby by name and as an officer of Cesare Celare Borgia Borilla This of course settles settles- the I matter though It had been really settled settled settled set set- the night before Tolentino orders orden him bun taken takesi tp they the roof of ot the castle and thrown aown Inc mountain sale Je Tn the hope that there Is le not a priest In Inthe Inthe I the castle cl and that his captors will not not kill him he demands the c consolation of religion Unfortunately for fer Castrocaro there Is a d a priest within the walls wall and Tolentino tends a soldier to tl fl w n h way the thin map m etl malica a I 10 ITS 1 n IOU I the Borgia lines and made her way wayby wayby by the road built up the front of the tho I mountain just as a. Cesare had supposed I she be wo would ld She questions the soldier and abd he be tells her of the Incident of the night before also allo the Identity of the prisoner Blanca at once believes It was the potency of her hor elixir she having having hav hav- ing Inar administered It to Ca Castrocaro when i he visited her at Urbino which had caul caused d him to take such uch a dreadful ll risk as she Ibe Imagines to visit her She Sho Sheat Sheat Shoat at Once takes the captive from Tolen Tolen- tino tino Castrocaro had had no idea Bl Blanca Di- Di anca anoa was wa In San Leo but he sees a aI I le aL heL tJ ZD- ZD I He lie did not know She trembled from head to foot toot at that admission I He Be did not not know nut Hut she she shet knew She knew and hence the confidence nce with which she Bhe had Interposed ed to brush Tolentino aside For had he died had nd the executioner driven him over the led ledge e In that horrible death death- leap it would have been hr hw hands that had destroyed him For yol WH It not she Rhe who had bewitched bewitched be be- witched him Was It not she who had drugged ed him with a n love philter I th the procured from fromMe tromIe Me Messer Ie Did Uld sh she not know that It was that elixir burning fiercely and unappeasably In his veins velus that had possessed him like liken a n madness and brought ht him elm thither reckless of ot nil danger so that he might come corne to her Poor Poor Ioor poor Lorenzo Lorenzol she murmured murmured mur mur- fondly He Ue started round and stared at her very verv white Oh Oh he cried and sank upon rpm one knee before her You have surprised my secret secret secret-my my unutterable I secret Ah let me go o Let them hurl me from the rock and so end I In my wretchedness I I It was supremely well done the villain villain vil vil- vil lain knew and she were no woman I but hut a n VEr very harpy harp did she now permit I his death He was prepared rt for a pitying gentleness toward nn nn an antic antic- I II tion which she must now suppose her I own beauty hud had Inspired and so he heI had f d looked for tor a n kindly dl dismissal missal I Hut But he was not prepared for tor any such I answer as she made mode him I Dear love what are you saying Is there no other happiness for you oU j I save that of ot death Have I shown I I anger Do I 1 know aught but gladness that for tor me you should have dared so much He gave gove utterance to his overmastering 0 I Oh It Is impossible I 1 he I Iund and und this time there wu was no acting In n kIo kl cry crr What Is Impossible she and setting her hands under his el elbows el el- bows she Rhe raised him gently from his kneeling posture What is Impossible I site Bible sible 7 she repeated when they stood face tace to face tace once more I And now the fire tire In n his eyes ees w was s I not simulated It Is Impossible that you ou should not Dot Icorn scorn my love Ime said he Scorn It I It I J who have awakened awakened awak awak- I ened enel It li Ii-I I who have hu desired it Desired It ItT he echoed almost In tn InK n na K a whisper Desired It I For a spell they stood so 80 staring I each Into nto the others other's eyes eyes ees then they fell tell lUlu lilt each ench others other's II arms rills she sobbing sobbing sob sob- bing In her extreme Joy and ond he lie upon SOb SOb-I the verge of ot doing no less for as ns you will It had been a B very ery tr try try- I I lug lug film l. l And It was thus thus the the Lady of San on onI I Leo eo and the Borgia captain clasped heart henrt to heart under the summer sky that that Messer Tolentino found them Marveling at the long delay deloy the castellan had luu thou thought ht It well to go ro roI I after them And AmI what he now beheld struck him to stone left lert him gaping I like a 0 foolish image c. c I They fell apart for tor very ery decency I and then the lady Indy rosily confused presented Messer Lorenzo to the ensI castellan cas ens- I as os her future lord and ond explained explained ex ex- to him In confidence confidence and and as ns she understood It the It-the the true reason renson of ot ott t tho that nUman it to S Sm Q Leo Rl I R 1 s t tJ J Q r She Sha Looked at Him in Silence for a Moment Th Thereafter r r. r Messer r Lorenzo renz was cored cared for tor as become a man of his position A bath was prepared for him fresh garments were found to tofit tofit fit him the richest and most becoming becom becom- ing lag being selected the garrison wa was disappointed of Its execution and the Borgia captain went to dine line at Madonna's Madonna's Ma Ma- lu donnas donna's table For this banquet the choicest viands that the besieged commanded comm com- com m were forthcoming and the rarest wines nines Ines from Floravanti's cellar were procured In all Italy there was no happier man In that hour than Lorenzo Castrocaro Castrocaro Cas Cas- who from the the very ery edge of death leath saw himself suddenly thrust up to the highest and ond best that he could have ha dared to ask of life lite Ills His happiness entirely engrossed his mind awhile All else was forgotten But suddenly quite suddenly remembrance remembrance brance flooded back upon him hint and left him cold with horror lie had been midway through his second son song Madonna languishing beside him and he checked abruptly The lute fell feU clattering from his grasp which had suddenly grown nerveless With a startled cry his mistress leaned over him Enzo Enzol I Are you Ill iii He lie rose precipitately I No no not Dot Ill Rut oh But oh Hei He clenched his hands and groaned j i She too had risen nil oil sweet solicitude solicitude tude demanding to know what ailed I him lIe He turned to her a face that was blank with despair What have hove I done What have haveT I T done he cried thereby Increasing her alarm I It crossed her mind that perhaps the effect of the magicians magician's philter vas 08 beginning to wane Fearfully I urgently she Insisted upon knowing what ml might lit be alarming him hlin and he seeing himself forced to explain paused but an Instant to choose u II middle course In words to find expressions ex ex- e expressions that would not betray him Why It Is IR this lie he cried and ond there was real chagrin In his voice as OR there was In his heart In my hot I madness to come hither I never I paused to count the cost I nm am n a Hor- Hor gla ria captain and nt at this moment moment no better than n adS l cWi deserter rt r who I gas as lf l m ned his Ills trust t mitt his cn dotta otta to go o over to the enemy Io enemy to sit sll here and take my ea ease In the very ry castle that my duke Is now besl besieging By ny heaven hemen It II had heEn n n a thousand times better had 11 Tolentino made malf an Hi end of doe Ine this morning us liS he Intended Intend Intend- ed d Then he checked abruptly and I turned to her penitently Ah Ali no no noI no I meant tint that Madonna T r I spoke I without reflecting I were an rut nn to desire that that un an In Ingrate late and n It fool I For Ioor hud had they killed me I had bad never neer known this day of or happiness i Yet what Is to be done she cried I I crushing her hands to together ether In her I agony of mind What Is to be he done my In Enzo To let you now depart would no longer save uve you ou Oh let lot me think let me think I And then them til- til nt ot once There Is n a way she cried und and on that cr cry which laud hud been one of gladness she tell fell sod 1 I denly very ery gloomy and th thoughtful lint hat wily way heI heI he I fear It Is the only way wad wa she said I never KO so wistfully And then he guessed what was In InI her mind and repudiated the I tion All Ali Not that he be protested I That way we must not th think n of I could not let you you- you snot not even to save my life Ilfe But nut on the word up tip at him hint and her dark eye ee kindled anew with loving enthusiasm To save your life life yes eg That Is Lq cause enough h to justify me I For or nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing less would I do It Enzo but to save you you you-you you whom I h have vc brought Into this pass pass pass- pass What are you saying sweet he cried Why that the fault Is mine and that I 1 must pay the penalty The fault Did I not bring you hither He lIe hushed flushed something somethIng- ill III at nt ease to see see see-os ns he lie supposed supposed his his lie recoiling now upon him shall Listen Usten she pursued You do as ns I bid you You shall go as my envoy emoy to Cesare Borgia norgin and you OU shall offer otTer him the surrender of ot San Leo In my name stipulating only for forthe forthe forthe the honors of war and the safe con duct of ot my garrison No no I he protested still and honestly his villainy villain grown glown I nant Besides how shall that serve e me You shall SO say that you OU knew a ft away awny wn way to win Into San Leo Len mill and this this which which she added smilIng smiling smil smil- ing wistfully lIy Is after all the truth The duke will he be too well content content content con con- tent with the result to quarrel with th the metes UIt ir v rut y r rL i it d t I I y It Is Impossible That You Should Not Scorn My Love Said He n He Tie mert averted d his iS f face ce Oh But It Is shameful I he cried out anti meant not what she supposed supposed sup sup- posed him to mean In a n few days days In In n a few weeks at most most most-It It will become Inevitable she reminded him After all nil what do I sacrIfice A little pride no more mOIe than that And shall that weigh against your life with me Better netter surrender now when I have something something some some- I thing to gain from surrender than titan later loter when I shall have all nil to lose He considered Indeed I If was the only way And after atter nil he be was robbing rob bing hing her of ot nothing that she must not I yield In time time-of of nothing after all that It might not be his bis to restore her ten ion o Jn n t. t I Continued Ne 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