morrow；　or　the　next　day？　　Be　assured　of　thisthat　whatever　I　have
  determined　to　do　is　past　all　power　of　being　affected　by　a　human
  opposition。　　Occupy　yourself　not　with　any　fruitless　attempts；　but
  calmly　listen　to　me；　else　I　know　what　to　do。〃　　Seeing　a　suppressed
  fury　in　his　eye；　notwithstanding　I　saw　also　some　change　stealing
  over　his　features　as　if　from　some　subtle　poison　beginning　to　work
  upon　his　frame；　awestruck　I　consented　to　listen；　and　sat　still。
  〃It　is　well　that　you　do　so；　for　my　time　is　short。　　Here　is　my　will；
  legally　drawn　up；　and　you　will　see　that　I　have　committed　an　immense
  property　to　your　discretion。　　Here；　again；　is　a　paper　still　more
  important　in　my　eyes；　it　is　also　testamentary；　and　binds　you　to
  duties　which　may　not　be　so　easy　to　execute　as　the　disposal　of　my
  property。　　But　now　listen　to　something　else；　which　concerns　neither
  of　these　papers。　　Promise　me；　in　the　first　place；　solemnly；　that
  whenever　I　die　you　will　see　me　buried　in　the　same　grave　as　my　wife；
  from　whose　funeral　we　are　just　returned。　　Promise。〃I　promised。
  〃Swear。〃I　swore。〃Finally；　promise　me　that；　when　you　read　this
  second　paper　which　I　have　put　into　your　hands；　whatsoever　you　may
  think　of　it；　you　will　say　nothingpublish　nothing　to　the　world
  until　three　years　shall　have　passed。〃I　promised。〃And　now
  farewell　for　three　hours。　　Come　to　me　again　about　ten　o'clock；　and
  take　a　glass　of　wine　in　memory　of　old　times。〃　　This　he　said
  laughingly；　but　even　then　a　dark　spasm　crossed　his　face。　　Yet；
  thinking　that　this　might　be　the　mere　working　of　mental　anguish
  within　him；　I　complied　with　his　desire；　and　retired。　　Feeling；
  however；　but　little　at　ease；　I　devised　an　excuse　for　looking　in
  upon　him　about　one　hour　and　a　half　after　I　had　left　him。　　I　knocked
  gently　at　his　door；　there　was　no　answer。　　I　knocked　louder；　still
  no　answer。　　I　went　in。　　The　light　of　day　was　gone；　and　I　could　see
  nothing。　　But　I　was　alarmed　by　the　utter　stillness　of　the　room。　　I
  listened　earnestly；　but　not　a　breath　could　be　heard。　　I　rushed　back
  hastily　into　the　hall　for　a　lamp；　I　returned；　I　looked　in　upon　this
  marvel　of　manly　beauty；　and　the　first　glance　informed　me　that　he
  and　all　his　splendid　endowments　had　departed　forever。　　He　had　died；
  probably；　soon　after　I　left　him；　and　had　dismissed　me　from　some
  growing　instinct　which　informed　him　that　his　last　agonies　were　at
  hand。
  I　took　up　his　two　testamentary　documents；　both　were　addressed　in
  the　shape　of　letters　to　myself。　　The　first　was　a　rapid　though
  distinct　appropriation　of　his　enormous　property。　　General　rules
  were　laid　down；　upon　which　the　property　was　to　be　distributed；　but
  the　details　were　left　to　my　discretion；　and　to　the　guidance　of
  circumstances　as　they　should　happen　to　emerge　from　the　various
  inquiries　which　it　would　become　necessary　to　set　on　foot。　　This
  first　document　I　soon　laid　aside；　both　because　I　found　that　its
  provisions　were　dependent　for　their　meaning　upon　the　second；　and
  because　to　this　second　document　I　looked　with　confidence　for　a
  solution　of　many　mysteries；of　the　profound　sadness　which　had；
  from　the　first　of　my　acquaintance　with　him；　possessed　a　man　so
  gorgeously　endowed　as　the　favorite　of　nature　and　fortune；　of　his
  motives　for　huddling　up；　in　a　clandestine　manner；　that　connection
  which　formed　the　glory　of　his　life；　and　possibly　（but　then　I
  hesitated）　of　the　late　unintelligible　murders；　which　still　lay
  under　as　profound　a　cloud　as　ever。　　Much　of　this　WOULD　be　unveiled
  all　might　be：　and　there　and　then；　with　the　corpse　lying　beside　me
  of　the　gifted　and　mysterious　writer；　I　seated　myself；　and　read　the
  following　statement：
  〃MARCH　26；　1817。
  〃My　trial　is　finished；　my　conscience；　my　duty；　my　honor；　are
  liberated；　my　'warfare　is　accomplished。'　　Margaret；　my　innocent
  young　wife；　I　have　seen　for　the　last　time。　　Her；　the　crown　that
  might　have　been　of　my　earthly　felicityher；　the　one　temptation　to
  put　aside　the　bitter　cup　which　awaited　meher；　sole　seductress　（O
  innocent　seductress！）　from　the　stern　duties　which　my　fate　had
  imposed　upon　meher；　even　her；　I　have　sacrificed。
  〃Before　I　go；　partly　lest　the　innocent　should　be　brought　into
  question　for　acts　almost　exclusively　mine；　but　still　more　lest　the
  lesson　and　the　warning　which　God；　by　my　hand；　has　written　in　blood
  upon　your　guilty　walls；　should　perish　for　want　of　its　authentic
  exposition；　hear　my　last　dying　avowal；　that　the　murders　which　have
  desolated　so　many　families　within　your　walls；　and　made　the
  household　hearth　no　sanctuary；　age　no　charter　of　protection；　are
  all　due　originally　to　my　head；　if　not　always　to　my　hand；　as　the
  minister　of　a　dreadful　retribution。
  〃That　account　of　my　history；　and　my　prospects；　which　you　received
  from　the　Russian　diplomatist；　among　some　errors　of　little
  importance；　is　essentially　correct。　　My　father　was　not　so
  immediately　connected　with　English　blood　as　is　there　represented。
  However；　it　is　true　that　he　claimed　descent　from　an　English　family
  of　even　higher　distinction　than　that　which　is　assigned　in　the
  Russian　statement。　　He　was　proud　of　this　English　descent；　and　the
  more　so　as　the　war　with　revolutionary　France　brought　out　more
  prominently　than　ever　the　moral　and　civil　grandeur　of　England。
  This　pride　was　generous；　but　it　was　imprudent　in　his　situation。
  His　immediate　progenitors　had　been　settled　in　Italyat　Rome　first；
  but　latterly　at　Milan；　and　his　whole　property；　large　and　scattered；
  came；　by　the　progress　of　the　revolution；　to　stand　under　French
  domination。　　Many　spoliations　he　suffered；　but　still　he　was　too
  rich　to　be　seriously　injured。　　But　he　foresaw；　in　the　progress　of
  events；　still　greater　perils　menacing　his　most　capital　resources。
  Many　of　the　states　or　princes　in　Italy　were　deeply　in　his　debt；
  and；　in　the　great　convulsions　which　threatened　his　country；　he　saw
  that　both　the　contending　parties　would　find　a　colorable　excuse　for
  absolving　themselves　from　engagements　which　pressed　unpleasantly
  upon　their　finances。　　In　this　embarrassment　he　formed　an　intimacy
  with　a　French　officer　of　high　rank　and　high　principle。　　My　father's
  friend　saw　his　danger；　and　advised　him　to　enter　the　French　service。
  In　his　younger　days；　my　father　had　served　extensively　under　many
  princes；　and　had　found　in　every　other　military　service　a　spirit　of
  honor　governing　the　conduct　of　the　officers。　　Here　only；　and　for
  the　first　time；　he　found　ruffian　manners　and　universal　rapacity。
  He　could　not　draw　his　sword　in　company　with　such　men；　nor　in　such　a
  cause。　　But　at　length；　under　the　pressure　of　necessity；　he　accepted
  （or　rather　bought　with　an　immense　bribe）　the　place　of　a　commissary
  to　the　French　forces　in　Italy。　　With　this　one　resource；　eventually
  he　succeeded　in　making　good　the　whole　of　his　public　claims　upon　the
  Italian　states。　　These　vast　sums　he　remitted；　through　various
  channels；　to　England；　where　he　became　proprietor　in　the　funds　to　an
  immense　amount。　　Incautiously；　however；　something　of　this
  transpired；　and　the　result　was　doubly　unfortunate；　for；　while　his
  intentions　were　thus　made　known　as　finally　pointing　to　England；
  which　of　itself　made　him　an　object　of　hatred　and　suspicion；　it　also
  diminished　his　means　of　bribery。　　These　considerations；　along　with
  another；　made　some　French　officers　of　high　rank　and　influence　the
  bitter　enemies　of　my　father。　　My　mother；　whom　he　had　married　when
  holding　a　brigadier…general's　commission　in　the　Austrian　service；
  was；　by　birth　and　by　religion；　a　Jewess。　　She　was　of　exquisite
  beauty；　and　had　been　sought　in　Morganatic　marriage　by　an　archduke
  of　the　Austrian　family；　but　she　had　relied　upon　this　plea；　that
  hers　was　the　purest　and　noblest　blood　among　all　Jewish　families
  that　her　family　traced　themselves；　by　tradition　and　a　vast　series
  of　attestations　under　the　hands　of　the　Jewish　high　priests；　to　the
  Maccabees；　and　to　the　royal　houses　of　Judea；　and　that　for　her　it
  would　be　a　degradation　to　accept　even　of　a　sovereign　prince　on　the
  terms　of　such　marriage。　　This　was　no　vain　pretension　of
  ostentatious　vanity。　　It　was　one　which　had　been　admitted　as　valid
  for　time　immemorial　in　Transylvania　and　adjacent　countries；　where
  my　mother's　family　were　rich　and　honored；　and　took　their　seat　among
  the　dignitaries　of　the　land。　　The　French　officers　I　have　alluded
  to；　without　capacity　for　anything　so　dignified　as　a　deep　passion；
  but　merely　in　pursuit　of　a　vagrant　fancy　that　would；　on　the　next
  day；　have　given　place　to　another　equally　fleeting；　had　dared　to
  insult　my　mother　with　proposals　the　most　licentiousproposals　as
  much　below　her　rank　and　birth；　as；　at　any　rate；　they　would　have
  been　below　her　dignity　of　mind　and　her　purity。　　These　she　had
  communicated　to　my　father；　who　bitterly　resented　the　chains　of
  subordination　which　tied　up　his　hands　from　avenging　his　injuries。
  Still　his　eye　told　a　tale　which　his　superiors　could　brook　as　little
  as　they　could　the　disdainful　neglect　of　his　wife。　　More　than　one
  had　been　concerned　in　the　injuries　to　my　father　and