Danger in the Dark - ZseZse

214 DANGER IN THE DARK.
was lounging; then going to a remote part of the
house she sat down, turning her back .upon the sleeper,
or rather the spy, and opening the book began silently
to peruse its pages.
Raising himself softly from his recumbent posture, .
Bedini crept slily along till he was able to look over
the lady's shoulder into the open book she held before
her. Satisfying himself that it was one .of the inter-
dicted works, the intruder receded as stealthily as he
had approached. He perhaps could not have escaped
her observation had it not happened at the moment
that one of her children, a little girl of three years,
was fondling upon her, throwing her tiny arms about
her rna's neck, and playing with her luxuriant curls;
this probably prevented the slight noise made by
Bedini's approach from attracting the attention of Mrs.
Foresti. Exulting in his success, the ungrateful wretch
hurried to Dupin to make report of his discovery.
*
The arrest of Mrs. Foresti-tbe manner of it:-the
heartless proceedings of the Inquiaition-s-hersentenee
and execution, present too dark and revolting a pic-
ture to dwell upon. Tbe reader will gladly excuse
me from tbe painful task of minute description, and
no doubt be gratified tbat I do not bere draw aside the
curtain to exhibit all the horrid features of the barbar-
ous scene, and set forth in detail the heart-sickening
tragedy. The fate of Mrs. Foresti was that of many
otbers in papal countries, who have had the misfor-
ture to fall into the hands of Inquisitors.