“It must be that the Lady Lucia be- |
seeches him for your life, my lord," an- I
swered Lorenzo. "Indeed, I wish the duke j
would hearken to her prayer.”
“He will not turn for her,” said Antonio, j
But presently the report of what had i
passed spread from those round the duke
to the p'kernen, and they, loving a marvel
as most men do, must needs tell it to the
people, and a murmur of wonder arose,
and the report reached the guards at the
scaffold, who came und told Lorenzo in
the hearing ot Antonio of the strange de
lusion that had come u;>on the duke.
"He must be sick to death,” said Lo- i
renzo.
"1 pray not,” said Count Antonio. "For
though' he is a stern man, yet he is an
able and just prince, and this fancy of his
Is very pitiful.”
"Do you spare pity for hhn?" asked Lo
ren to.
"Shall I not pity all who have lost their
lives?” answered Antonio wit'h a smile,
and his eye rested on the form of the Lady
Lucia kneeling by the duke's couch.
For hard half an hour the duke lay as
he had fallen, but at last, his physician
having used all his skill to rouse him, he
opened his eyes, and clutched his physi
cian’s hand and pointed to Lucia, saying:
"Who is she?”
“It is the Lady Lucia, my lord,” an
swered the physician.
"And there was none else?” asked the
duke, in a low, tremulous whisper.
