Tales for Young and Old | Page 7

it is too busy a
house for a _coup de main;_ we must try the charcoal again; but this
time we must be sure of our game.'
Karl hoped there might be no stoves in the bed-chamber; but it was a
well-furnished house, and there were. Adelaide said how glad she
should be to have a fire again, she had suffered so much by the want of
one, and desired Karl to light hers early. It appeared, however, that the
servant of the house had already done it. Mazzuolo said: 'So much the
better. The stove will get well heated, and when you put in the charcoal,
there will be no danger of its not burning.' And Tina suggested that that
should not be done till just before Adelaide went to bed, lest she should
perceive the effects of the vapour whilst she was undressing.
The young traveller had never, on her journey, been in such high spirits

as to-night. Well she might; it had been so prosperously performed, and
to-morrow she was to meet her husband. She prattled and laughed
during supper with a light heart; expressed her gratitude to the Italians
for their escort; and said that, if Monsieur Louison could be of any use
to them, she knew how happy he would be to acknowledge their
kindness to her. 'Really,' she said, 'travelling at such a period, with so
many valuables, and such a large sum of money as I have with me, was
a bold undertaking!'
Mazzuolo, during the first part of her speech, was beginning to weigh
the advantages of the commissary's favour against the dangers and
difficulties of the assassination--difficulties which had far exceeded his
expectations, and dangers which were of course augmented by the
proximity to Augsburg--but the latter part of it decided the question;
the money and valuables preponderated in the scale, and the good
opinion of the commissary kicked the beam.
Partly from the exaltation of her spirits, and partly because the day's
journey had been a short one--for the stoppage at Meitingen was quite
unnecessary, they were within four hours of Augsburg, and might very
well have reached it--Adelaide was less fatigued and less willing to go
to bed than usual. She sat late; and it was past twelve when, having
asked for her candle, Karl received the signal to go and prepare the
stove. Mazzuolo followed him out, to see that the work was well done,
and the charcoal ignited before she went to her room. When all was
ready, her candle was put into her hand, and Mazzuolo having
conducted her to the door, took the precaution of turning the key, which
he afterwards put in his pocket. She rallied him on the strictness of his
guardianship; but he alleged gravely that the house was a busy one, and
she might perchance be disturbed if her door were not secured.
They listened till she was in bed, and then Mazzuolo said that they
could not do better than go to bed too; 'for,' said he, 'the earlier we are
off in the morning the better. There will be the fewer people up, and the
less chance of her being missed.'
When Karl reached his room, he sat down on the side of his bed and
reflected. He had observed that the last thing Mazzuolo had done
before leaving Adelaide's chamber, was to see that the window was
well closed. 'If I could open it,' thought he, 'to-morrow we shall be at
Augsburg, and then I should not be told any more to kill her. I wish I

could. They'll go away in the morning before she is awake, and so I
should never be found out.' With this idea in his head, he went down
stairs, and letting himself out, he crept round to the end of the house
where her window was.
She slept on the first floor, and the difficulty was how to reach it; but
this was soon overcome. In the stable-yard stood some high steps, used
for the convenience of passengers when they mounted the wagons and
diligences. These he carried to the spot, and having reached the window,
he was about to break some of the panes, since, as it fastened on the
inside, he could not open it, when it occurred to him that the noise
might wake her, and cause an alarm that would betray him. The
window, however, was in the lattice fashion, and he saw that by a little
contrivance, he could lift it off the hinges. He did so, and drew aside
the curtain; there lay the intended victim in a sound sleep; so sound,
that Karl thought he might safely step in without disturbing her. There
she lay in her beauty.
He could not tell why, but, as he