You may carry Maria Polani off, but you will never succeed
through her in obtaining a portion of her father's fortune, for I know
that, the first moment her hands are free, she will stab herself to the
heart, rather than remain in the power of such a wretch."
Ruggiero snatched up a dagger from a table by his couch as Francis was
speaking, but dropped it again.
"Fool," he said. "Am I not going to carry off the two girls? and do you
not see that it will tame Maria's spirit effectually, when she knows
that if she lays hands on herself, she will but shift the honour of
being my wife from herself to her sister?"
As the laugh of anticipated triumph rang in Francis's ears, the latter,
in his fury, made a spring forward to throw himself upon the villain,
but he had forgotten his chains, and fell headlong on to the floor.
"Guards," Ruggiero shouted, "take this fellow away, and I charge you
watch over him securely, and remember that your lives shall answer for
his escape."
"There is no need for threats, signor," Philippo said. "You can rely on
our vigilance, though, as far as I see, if he had but a child to watch
him he would be safe in that cell of his, fettered as he is."
Ruggiero waved his hand impatiently, and the two men withdrew with
their prisoner.
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