“But, Carlton, the priest married us,” said Florinda, shuddering at the thought.  “I am his wife!”

“Compose thyself, dearest; and believe me, thou art no one’s wife, but still my dear Florinda.  All is well.”

By degrees as Florinda became more composed, the whole matter was told to her; and though she deeply sorrowed at the fatal necessity, yet she could not blame Carlton for taking the life of him who was at the moment seeking his.  They sought her home in Florence, from whence Carlton was no longer excluded, but came and went at will.  Signor Latrezzi and he never met; but it was plain that the servants had been ordered to admit him in future, as any other respected guest of Signora Florinda’s.

The uncle’s darling project was utterly defeated, and the hopes thereby of securing himself from his just reward for the dishonest act he had committed in appropriating a large sum of his niece’s property, was rendered abortive.  What course did the old man pursue in this dilemma?  He did that which he should have done years before, as soon as he awoke to the realization of the crime he had committed; he went to Florinda, confessed his dishonesty, and begged her to spare his gray hairs from dishonor.  She was but too happy to relieve him from his misery and suffering on this account.

“Uncle,” said she, “give thyself no further uneasiness on this point, but sit thee down, and draw a paper absolving thyself from the matter in proper form, and I will sign it.”

The paper was drawn and signed, and Signor Latrezzi from that hour became a different man; he had thoroughly repented.

“You are now content?”

“I am, my dear Florinda, and thankful to you for thus relieving my mind.”

“Say nothing about it, my dear uncle.”

“I will not, save in action towards you, Florinda, who have placed me under lasting obligations.”

Though Carlton deeply regretted the fatal occurrence of that night at the inn on the Apennines, still his conscience did not upbraid him for the part he had enacted; for though he had taken the life of Petro, it was done in self-defence, and the court of Florence so decided, Carlton having given himself up to trial.  It would have gone hard with him, or any foreigner in Italy, and especially in Tuscany, who should chance to be thus situated; but Carlton had the all-powerful influence of the Grand Duke Leopold exerted in his favor, and in this case justice was rendered.

True, it was some time before the American artist was again received at court, or made his appearance at the Grand Duke’s weekly cordon, as public opinion was against him-and very naturally, too, for he was a foreigner, and had taken the life of a citizen of Florence, and one closely allied to the nobility and gentle blood.  But after the decision of the court-which the duke took good care to have made in the most imposing and public form-was thoroughly understood, and the memory of the matter had grown a little dim, Carlton again resumed his place at court, as the protege of the Grand Duke, and royal favor was again shown him.