Tales for Young and Old | Page 5

did suspect the lady had come unfairly to her end. It was
not, however, probable that the charcoal would be of any use on this
occasion; the place was too poor to be well furnished with stoves; so

Karl was instructed in what he would have to do.
'When she is asleep,' said Mazzuolo, 'you must give her a blow on the
head that will be sufficient to stun her. Then we will complete the job;
and as we shall start early in the morning with Tina in female attire,
they will never miss her.' Karl, as usual, made no objection; and when
they arrived at night at the inn, which fully answered the description
given, and was as lonely as the worst assassins could desire, the two
men sallied forth to seek a convenient place for disposing of the body.
Neither had they much difficulty in finding what they wanted: there
was not only a mountain torrent hard by, but there was also a deep
mysterious hole in a neighbouring field, that looked very much as if the
body of the young traveller would not be the first that had found a
grave there.
Every circumstance seemed to favour the enterprise; and all
arrangements made, the two men returned to the house. Karl thought it
was all over with him now. He was too timid to oppose Mazzuolo, and
he had nobody to consult. Tina had found a weapon apt for the purpose,
which she had already secured; and when they sat down to supper,
considering the completeness of the preparations, nobody would have
thought Adelaide's life worth six hours' purchase. However, she was
not destined to die that night. Just as they had finished their supper, the
sound of wheels was heard; then there was a great noise and bustle
below; and Karl being sent down to inquire what was the matter, was
informed that a large party of travellers had arrived; and as there was a
scarcity of apartments, it was hoped the lady and gentlemen would
accommodate the strangers by allowing them to share theirs. Consent
was inevitable; so, like the sultan's wife in the Arabian tale, the victim
was allowed to live another day.
'Now,' said Mazzuolo, 'we have only two nights more before we reach
Augsburg, so there must be no more shilly-shallying about the matter.
If there is a stove in the room to-night, we may try that; though, if the
house be in a pretty safe situation, I should prefer more decisive
measures. The charcoal has failed once already.'
'That was from bad management,' said Tina; 'we could be secure
against such an accident on another occasion. At the same time, if the
situation be favourable, I should prefer a _coup de main.'_
When they had arrived at their night's station, the absence of a stove

decided the question. It was merely a post-house, a place where horses
were furnished; the accommodation was poor, and the people disposed
to pay little attention to them. Close by ran a river, which obviated all
difficulty as to the disposal of the body.
'The thing must be done to-night,' said Mazzuolo; and Karl said nothing
to the contrary. He also feared that it must; for he did not see how he
could avoid it. His aunt said everything necessary to inspire him with
courage and determination, and made many promises of future benefits;
whilst Mazzuolo neither doubted his obedience nor his resolution, and
spoke of the thing as so entirely within the range of ordinary
proceedings, that the boy, stupid and ignorant, and accustomed, from
the state of the country, to hear of bloodshed and murders little less
atrocious committed by the soldiery, and neither punished nor severely
condemned, felt ashamed of his own pusillanimity--for such his
instinctive pity appeared to himself.
But as he stood opposite Madame Louison at supper, with his eyes, as
usual, fixed upon her face, his heart involuntarily quailed when he
thought that within a few hours he was to raise his hand against that
beautiful head; yet he still felt within himself no courage to refuse, nor
any fertility of expedient to elude the dilemma.
When supper was over, Tina desired Karl to bring up two or three pails
of warm water, and several cloths, 'for,' said she 'it will do us all good
to bathe our feet;' whereupon Adelaide requested one might be carried
to her room, which was done by Karl. He was now alone with her, and
it was almost the first time he had been so, except when they ran up the
hill together, since the day they met. When he had set down the pail by
her bedside, he stood looking at her with a strange expression of
countenance. He knew that the water he had