The Amulet

t was coming on, when Julio opened the garden-gate of his maste

; the other was in his pocket, turning over the gold pieces given h

a serious duty to perform. After work comes the recompense. What I hold in my hand will indemnify me for the thirst I have suffered

from his doublet and one from under his cloak, plac

ce we will become acquainted. To fill up a grave and roll some empty casks into the cellar is a small matter. But it i

e time before the tinder took fire, and Julio laughed at his own failures; but at last

ched the tab

s, to be as rich as a banker, to feel my pockets weighed down by gold, and still unable to feast my eyes on the treasur

comfortably, with extended limbs, and placed the

, he heaped them up and ran his hands through them as if to enjoy the sparkle and jingle of the gold. He hel

e was doing, he ranged the crowns in a line and counted them; then he separated them into piles of twenty pieces each; then he tos

florins and crowns? That would be an excellent means, certainly, of either becoming a hundred times richer or of losing every farthing. Strange! how fearful and avaricious money makes me! I do not even care to play; no, I will n

curse her ungrateful son, would he not have deserved it a hundred times? I am afraid of myself! With ten crowns, with the twentieth part of what I am going to throw away in dissipation, she might be saved from misery for more than a year. Why did I not give twenty crowns

table, counted them, regarded them wistfully,

ut it may make my blind old mother hap

e glittering coin. The sig

be troubled? When I have spent the two hundred crowns, Signor Turchi will send me more. But it is not well to rely too much upon that; his head may fall under the axe of the executioner. In that case I would be as badly off myself. The discovery would drive me from Germany into Netherlands or Italy. Instead of living in luxury, I would infallibly fall into the lion's jaw, and the gallows or the wheel would

ing a few words as to the strength and energy imparted by the l

re than an hour. That is a long time to be separated from you, is it not? To keep me company, I will take the half-empty bott

ide of his doublet, took the lamp,

d he had time to feel the effect of the wine, and it so raised his spirits that he commenced je

is lips, he trembled in ever

ered him fro

upon the door, and strove to comprehend th

laimed, "it is Ge

he passage, and was for a time as motionless as

er met metal, but that the wound in his neck was deep. Suppose it

infully u

I must choose between his death and ours. Implacable fatality urges me on-in truth,

ned the blade, tried it with his finger. He

me-I cannot perpetrate such a cruelty. And yet, and yet I must! The crime horrifies me, but I have no alternative. Only by the sacrifice of his li

assage, caught his dagger between his teeth, put the key in the

. He had indeed drawn his dagger to complete the horrible crime; but now, touched and moved by compassio

nken that those few days of suffering had left only the skin to cover his bones. His eyes, rolling wildly, were sunk in their sockets; his neck, weakened by the wound, could not support his head, which fe

out Geronimo, "for the lov

but capable of movin

is head, with

urning up, consumed by thirst. Water! water! on

the bottle, uncorked it, and without speaking gave it to the wounded gentleman. He uttered a cry of joy, seiz

ronimo, as with trembling joy he placed the bottle to his

o have new strength; for a sweet smile appeared upon his face, his e

r my prayer and reward you on the day of judgment for all the good I may hav

mo with terror, and in a feebl

you pushed me i

gger in Julio's ha

r hand! Ah! you

ppose I fulfil this fatal mission without emotion; on the contrary, my heart

ess; you will have pity

d me to inhumanity. All prayer, all supplication is useless; nothing can save your life. I beg you, s

as these unfeeling words convi

n is to become my tomb? Must I die without confession? Sh

stible power, and for which my poor soul will stand accused before the judgment-seat of God. But do not cherish a deceitful hope; there is no hope for you. Before I depart from here, that grave must receive your body. That I did not immediately on entering fulfil my sad mission is partly owing to t

d his dagger in its scabbard, and seated himself on

reast. For some time he neither spoke nor moved, seeming to accept his fa

l me, Julio? I conjure you, by your soul's sa

ung man endeavored to

atter drew his dagger i

ck to the side of the grave, and fell exhaust

ul was stirred within him, and without being conscious

ull of compa

ble decree of fate. When one has lived like you in the fear of God,

led with the convulsive s

ght justly call down maledictions on the head of the murderer who of his own will and choice would deprive you of life. But, al

Geronimo, a new hope-sp

hope inspires you with joy; vain hope! signor, for should it be realized, my ma

remove all suspicion from you; I will declare

r would betray the part I had in the deed; and do you think th

ary for your acquittal, I will kneel to the b

g me. Think you, then, that it is in my power to spare you? It is my own and my master's death you demand. And what a death! For him, the axe of the executioner and eternal infamy to his family; for me, the rack, the wheel, the gallows. Do not blame me then, signor; do not contend agains

e the light of heaven! O Mary, my beloved! how you will deplore my

ade Julio shudder; but h

ready,

e moment for praye

parently accepted his fate with resignation, it was equally evident

solation to Geronimo, for the nervous trembling of his

enemies; but when the lips of the young man pronounced his own name in ardent supplication, and he distinctly hea

! I have not the strength t

words, "it is a voice from heaven speaking to your h

wn thoughts to heed Geronimo. I

ug for him, he prays for my soul! And can I shed his

red up all his strength to approach him; but Julio, seeing Geronimo's d

itable decrees, they must be accomplished! The sight of your sorrow has deprived me of all courage

f his difficulties. He paced the room like a madman, fought the air, stopped, resumed his walk,-until exhausted he threw himself into a chair. Sorrow, anguish, and rage, by turns were depicted on his countenance. He lame

ght had inspired him with a sudden resolution, he seized one of the bottles, uncorked it, and pu

the wine on his mind, swallowed half of the second bottle, dr

single blow and all will be over! I must strike h

round without speaking, and raising his dagger, he walked d

d suddenly as if immovable. His eye fell upon an object which Geronimo held in h

of which was a cross and other emblems, an

sprang forward, seized the strange medal, e

s, signor! What does it m

upon death, was too much startled by the

ce comes this amulet

woman," answered Geronim

s name?" said Julio, besid

. Teresa

e then the liberator of

fe! God of mercy, I thank

not the words o

mulet, brought by my grandfather from Jerusalem, protected my father against many dangers, saved my mother's life; and you, signor, you owe to the same amulet esca

that you will not take my life. Be merciful to the m

y guilty life on the gallows. But I must reflect upon our peculiar situation, for my min

n previously seated, and remained motionless for some ti

er, his face wore an expression of sadness and surprise; it seemed to him that Julio

'clock in the evening, and the time, I know, will be very long to you. But you must submit to a condition which is necessary for the preservation of my own life. To-morrow, at daybreak,

d his hands, a

you the mercy you have shown to me! I hav

nor, what d

and I am tormented by hunger and thirst; you have kept life in me by the w

there is not a mouthfu

eyes fixed in supplica

hop still open. I will return presently; r

the door after him, and ascended to his roo

and liberated her from slavery-that merchant was Geronimo! By some mysterious influence the amulet protected his heart from the b

anged. Seizing the half empty

d not help it. I shall not know what to do when the two hundred crowns are spent; necessity will force me to seek other resources, even at the risk of the gallows, and in all probability the fatal noose will encircle my neck. Bah! if it is predestined, who can prevent it? My master and I will receive only what we deserve. But I am forgetting the starving young gentleman

lamp, and hastily